Vincent van Gogh is one of the modern art's most celebrated figures, and his painting The Starry Night is one of the touchstones of the modern period. Painted at the tumultuous end of the artist's life, Van Gogh's imagined firmament, executed in deep blues and brilliant yellows, continues to capture the imaginations of all who view it. Its mystery, its evocation of the infinite, and its ability to inspire wonder have long made it one of the most beloved works in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art. An essay by art historian Richard Thomson looks in depth at the artist's career--from Van Gogh's turn to art at a relatively late age to the complex and difficult days at the end of his life--and the making of this luminous painting.