Check out this DC-inspired replica of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” made entirely out of Legos

Photo courtesy of Lego Discovery Center.

The Lego Discovery Center in Springfield is welcoming something new: Vincent van Gogh’s famous “Starry Night” in Lego form, celebrating the 135th anniversary of the painting’s creation. Make this replica even more unique? A DC-inspired twist. Using more than 24,000 bricks in yellow, blue and pink colors, master model maker Andrew Litterst created a backdrop of swirling stars behind the Capitol Hill skyline and the Washington Monument.

This isn’t Litterst’s only DC-Lego mashup. In late 2022, he built a Lego recreation of the National Mall, with Darth Vader occupying President Lincoln’s seat at the Lincoln Memorial. This creation ultimately helped Litterst, then a Fairfax County high school science teacher, land his dream job.

Last spring, he delighted Washingtonians with a Lego Stumpy, a miniature version of Tidal Basin’s skinny but beloved cherry tree, which was removed in May as part of a rebuilding project. For a finishing touch, Litterst added four Lego park rangers bowing to the iconic tree.

“My dad is a park ranger at the National Mall and he was actually the one who announced the demolition of Stumpy,” he said. Washingtonian. “So I built this to make fun of him.”

LEGO Stumpy!

LEGO model builder Andrew Litterst created this tongue-in-cheek Stumpy scene that is now part of the exhibit at LDC in Springfield. Andrew is the son of Mike Litterst, chief communications officer for the National Mall and Memorial Parks. pic.twitter.com/8JRVikeAzs

– Kevin Ambrose (@dcstormchaser) March 16, 2024

IMG_1870 - Washingtonian — Master Model Builder, Andrew Litterst. Photo courtesy of Lego Discovery Center.

Inspired by his Lego piece “Starry Night,” Litterst is now in what he calls his “artistic phase, the Renaissance era.” He plans to create an art gallery at the Discovery Center, reproducing more famous paintings in Lego form. In fact, he just finished a version of Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring.”

“Whatever I do next, it will probably have another touch of DC, because with the Starry Night painting it turned out really well,” Litterst says. “I’m really happy with it.”