As his artistic celebrity matches with no one, so as some misunderstandings about the great Dutch artist, Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). Among many misleading legends about him, Van Gogh’s stark separation from the Dutch Reformed tradition has been spread among experts and lay admirers. Van Gogh was not a Dutch Reform Christian, first of all. His family tradition as ministers and theologians has been based on rather liberal side, so-called the Groningen school in the history of Dutch Christianity. Van Gogh’s father, Theodorus van Gogh and his mentor Rev. Johannes Stricker, were the minister and theologian who were following Arminian tradition. Van Gogh had wanted to follow his family tradition as a minister so that he went to a poor miner town, Borinage, Belgium, as a lay missionary. The remaining testimonies tell us that he showed an example of a good missionary there. He read three important theological and spiritual books and the religious lessons and enlightenments of the books influenced his artistic career after December, 1881. These books are Thomas a Kempis’ Imitation of Christ, John Bunyn’s Pilgrim’s Progress, and Ernest Renan’s Life of Jesus. This paper claims and illustrates Van Gogh’s religious inspiration on his later paintings and drawings that show these three books’ religious and spiritual influences and ramifications.

As his artistic celebrity matches with no one, so as some misunderstandings about the great Dutch artist, Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). Among many misleading legends about him, Van Gogh’s stark separation from the Dutch Reformed tradition has been spread among experts and lay admirers. Van Gogh was not a Dutch Reform Christian, first of all. His family tradition as ministers and theologians has been based on rather liberal side, so-called the Groningen school in the history of Dutch Christianity. Van Gogh’s father, Theodorus van Gogh and his mentor Rev. Johannes Stricker, were the minister and theologian who were following Arminian tradition. Van Gogh had wanted to follow his family tradition as a minister so that he went to a poor miner town, Borinage, Belgium, as a lay missionary. The remaining testimonies tell us that he showed an example of a good missionary there. He read three important theological and spiritual books and the religious lessons and enlightenments of the books influenced his artistic career after December, 1881. These books are Thomas a Kempis’ Imitation of Christ, John Bunyn’s Pilgrim’s Progress, and Ernest Renan’s Life of Jesus. This paper claims and illustrates Van Gogh’s religious inspiration on his later paintings and drawings that show these three books’ religious and spiritual influences and ramifications.

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Vincent van Gogh, Groningen School, Dutch Reform Tradition, Imitation of Christ, Pilgrim’s Progress, Ernest Renan, Life of Jesus