Revealing Van Gogh's True Colors

Current version (left) and digitally recolored version (right) from the SciFri story.

I have to confess that I hate Science Friday.

I like the idea of a weekly hour of science content on NPR, but I can't stand Ira Flatow. He's obnoxiously curious, interrupts his guests with inane questions, and just generally annoys the crap out of me. I prefer the show when he has a substitute host.

That being said, sometimes the guests have fascinating things to say. On this episode, Ira interviews the senior conservation scientist at the Art Institute of Chicago.

It's fascinating that the painting has faded with exposure to oxygen and light exposure and that Van Gogh knew this - not that he knew the chemistry but that he was aware of the fading of the paints overtime and painted in a way to allow for that.