Did the Eiffel Tower Inspire Van Gogh's Starry Night? Expert Thinks So.

Art historian Prof James Hall suggests that the Eiffel Tower may have inspired Vincent van Gogh's fascination with cypress trees, which he painted in The Starry Night. Hall argues that Van Gogh began the series shortly after the Paris monument was unveiled as the star attraction of the International Exposition in 1889. He believes that the pyrotechnics, electric light, and explosions of the opening ceremony are repeated in the "pyrotechnical music of the stars, sky and clouds" of Van Gogh's painting.