Scientists in Chicago have produced a visualisation of van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles, showing what it would have looked like before its colours faded, BBC News said.
The artist painted three versions of this famous scene, using broadly the same colour scheme. But time and light degradation have taken their toll on the pigments.
Using a variety of techniques, the researchers have digitally restored the light blue walls and door to their original lilac and purple.
The computer visualisation is part of a major new exhibition at the The Art Institute of Chicago, which brings together all three versions for only the second time since van Gogh produced them.
It is hoped visitors to the exhibition will get a deeper sense of the emotions the 19th Century artist was trying to convey in the works.
"Science is vital in identifying the pigments that have faded, but then there is a lot of interpretation that we rely on from conservators and art historians who really know the hand of the artist, and know how to dial that virtual knob more or less," explained Dr Francesca Casadio, Mellon Senior Conservation Scientist at the Chicago institute.
"This is just a visualisation of what we think the faded colours looked like, but barring the invention of a time machine it will always still be an approximation."
