Where Is Van Gogh’s The Starry Night? Why Over Half of Quizified Players Got It Wrong

Every month on Quizified, thousands of players tackle a fresh set of daily questions. This month, the artwork question that confused the most players was: “In which city can you see Van Gogh’s The Starry Night?” Only 14.4% of players correctly answered New York, while more than 52% chose Amsterdam, a mistake that is both understandable and extremely common. Amsterdam is home to the world-famous Van Gogh Museum, which holds the largest collection of the artist’s paintings, drawings, and letters. Because of this, many assume his most recognisable masterpiece must also be there. But The Starry Night is not in Amsterdam at all—it hangs across the Atlantic in New York City, inside the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), where it has been part of the permanent collection since 1941.

Why The Starry Night Is in New York

Painted in 1889 during Van Gogh’s stay at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, The Starry Night captures the swirling night sky, luminous stars, and emotional turbulence that define his later work. Over time it became one of the most famous images in Western art, widely reproduced and instantly recognisable. Although many associate Van Gogh with the Netherlands—and understandably expect Amsterdam to be the right answer—his most iconic painting has become one of MoMA’s star attractions in New York.

Why This Question Tripped Up So Many Players

The confusion stems from a simple assumption: Van Gogh equals Amsterdam. And while the Van Gogh Museum is absolutely the global centre for his works, not every masterpiece is located there. In art history and museum trivia, the most famous works are often not where people expect them to be. That’s exactly why this question soared to the top of September’s most-missed list.

Other Famous Artwork Locations That People Commonly Get Wrong

Art trivia is full of surprises, and many masterpieces live far from the cities most people associate with them. Here are some of the most commonly mistaken locations:

1. The Mona Lisa — Paris, not Florence or Rome

Despite being painted by an Italian master, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa has been housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris since the 16th century.

2. The Last Supper — Milan, not Vatican City

Many quiz-takers assume Rome, but Leonardo’s mural is in the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent in Milan.

3. The Birth of Venus — Florence, not Venice

Botticelli’s iconic goddess stands in the Uffizi Gallery, not in Venice despite the mythological “Venus/Venice” mix-ups seen in quizzes.

4. Michelangelo’s David — Florence, not Rome

Another common mistake: David is not in the Vatican. The original marble sculpture is in Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia.

5. The Scream — Oslo, not Copenhagen or Amsterdam

Edvard Munch’s The Scream exists in several versions, but the most famous ones are housed in Oslo at the National Museum and the Munch Museum.

6. Girl with a Pearl Earring — The Hague, not Amsterdam

Although many assume Amsterdam for Dutch art, Vermeer’s work resides in the Mauritshuis in The Hague.

7. Guernica — Madrid, not Bilbao or Barcelona

Picasso’s anti-war masterpiece is on display at the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid.

8. The Night Watch — Amsterdam (Rijksmuseum)

Interestingly, this one is correctly assumed by most players—but its title often gets confused with Van Gogh’s Starry Night, adding to the mix-ups in trivia.

Why Art Trivia Creates So Many Wrong Answers

The world’s most iconic artworks have travelled through wars, auctions, private collections, political disputes, and museum acquisitions. That means many of them are not in the cities players instinctively associate with the artists. Van Gogh is Dutch but The Starry Night is in New York. Leonardo da Vinci is Italian but the Mona Lisa is in Paris. Picasso was Spanish but Guernica is in Madrid rather than the Basque town it depicts. These disconnects between creation, nationality, and display location make art questions some of the most deceptive on Quizified.
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