Isn't it a starry night out?

I just read that Van Gogh painted his "Starry Night" based on the view of the night sky from his window in a mental institution. That is super intriguing to me. I love that someone in such circumstances, and I confess to being unaware of why he was in an institution (the ear thing?), could create such awesomeness when cooped up in what probably was not an awesome space at all.
There was an art project at the Children's Museum a few months ago, where it was asked that we draw our own version of "Starry Night" on some dark construction paper with pastels. I think my concentration on that task made me appreciate the piece even more. And all of a sudden, I really like it. I always found it disingenuous how all the college kids loved the piece, so stayed away from it with pure stubbornness. But redrawing those swirls, and getting the coloring exactly right, was virtually impossible, and I wasn't able to do it.
Mine is pretty good, but his is still better.