Vincent van Gogh’s work is instantly recognizable. Those swirling skies, the vibrant sunflowers, and the thick, heavy layers of paint that give his canvas a three-dimensional look. His boundary-pushing style captivates art lovers and historians alike. But as it turns out, the legendary Dutch Post-Impressionist left behind a truly unique signature. And no, we’re not talking about his name scrawled in the corner of a canvas.

Thanks to incredible breakthroughs in modern technology, scientists have uncovered an exciting new way to recognize an original Van Gogh with complete precision. It all starts with close-up scans of his distinctive brushstroke patterns, but that’s only the beginning. Let’s paint you a picture.

Decoding the mathematics of a masterpiece

Identifying a real Van Gogh has traditionally relied on expert analysis, historical records and documentation, and a lot of detective work. More recently, chemical analysis of paint has helped the art world get........

© Upworthy