Vincent van Gogh’s Christian Faith and How it influenced his Life and Art Yongnam Park School of Human Development Dublin City University Supervisors: Dr. Thomas Grenham Dr. Andrew O’Regan Dr. Mary Ivers A dissertation in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) June 2017 Declaration I hereby certify that this material, which I now submit for assessment on the programme of study leading to the award of Master of Philosophy is entirely my own work, and that I have exercised reasonable care to ensure that the work is original, and does not to the best of my knowledge breach any law of copyright, and has not been taken from the work of others save and to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of my work. Signed: ID No: 16116887 Date: June 2017 I Acknowledgments I am indebted to many people who have assisted me in different ways because a MPhil thesis is not only my project. Most of all, I would like to express my gratitude and sincere thanks to my supervisors Dr. Thomas Grenham, Dr. Andrew O’Regan, and Dr. Mary Ivers for their excellent guidance and insightful suggestions. Without their help and encouragement the thesis would be diminished. Particularly, I’d like to thank my friend for her help and interest, especially to thank Estelle Feldman who proofread my text with great patience. I would like to thank Rev. Des Bain who taught me what is a real minster’s life and leadership. Without his prayer and help, I can’t do anything in Ireland. I am grateful to Rev. Andrew Dougherty who supported me with deep friendship and endless support. Above all my deepest indebtedness to my superintendent, Rev. Clodagh Yambasu who taught me pastoral care and local ministry in Co. Laois. Most significantly, I am sincerely grateful to my wife Sayjin for her love and support. Our three children, Yeoyeol, Joowon, and Myungwon, have provided much needed fun and distraction. I always remember the love and wisdom of my grandmother, and deeply thank my father and mother who pray for me every morning. I am sincerely thankful for the great support of my brother and sister, Yongkwang and Yongsook. Like Theo, Van Gogh’s brother, they never stop supporting me. II Contents List of Tables VI List of Plates VII Abstract VIII Chapter 1. Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1.1. Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 1.2 Motivation for the study ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1.3 Vincent van Gogh: a brief outline of his life ------------------------------------------------ 3 1.4 Van Gogh’s Letters and artworks ------------------------------------------------------------ 7 1.5 Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8 Chapter 2. Literature review ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 2.1 Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 2.2 Impressionism and Post-Impressionism ---------------------------------------------------- 9 2.3 The study of Van Gogh in art history ------------------------------------------------------- 11 2.4 Japanese Art in Europe ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 2.5 Symbolism -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 2.6 Christianity In Holland and England -------------------------------------------------------- 18 2.7 Self-portraits ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 19 2.8 The Concept of a Stranger and Pilgrim ----------------------------------------------------- 21 2.9 Summary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 Chapter 3. Methodology -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 3.1 Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 3.2 Christian Spirituality -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 3.3 Lived experience ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 26 3.4 Hermeneutic Research ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 27 3.5 Van Gogh’s letters and hermeneutics ------------------------------------------------------- 28 3.6 Thematic exploration of Van Gogh’s letter and art -------------------------------------- 30 3.6.1 Van Gogh, the Bible, and the Preacher -------------------------------------------------- 30 3.6.2 Pilgrim Spirit -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30 III 3.6.3 From minister of the Word to minister through art ------------------------------------- 31 3.7 Van Gogh's art selection criteria ------------------------------------------------------------- 31 3.7.1 Sower ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------32 3.7.2 Images of Boat ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33 3.7.3 Familiar Christian themes and images --------------------------------------------------- 33 3.7.4 Desire for eternity --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34 3.8 Van Gogh and suicide ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35 3.9 Summary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35 Chapter 4. Religious Context and Influence in his first vocation and artistic Life -------- 37 4.1 Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 37 4.2 Van Gogh and Methodism -------------------------------------------------------------------- 37 4.3 Van Gogh, Methodism, and Protestantism ------------------------------------------------- 38 4.4 From London to the Borinage ----------------------------------------------------------------- 42 4.5 From preacher to painter ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 46 4.6 Van Gogh: A Personal Pilgrimage ----------------------------------------------------------- 47 4.7 Van Gogh, the Bible, and the Preacher ------------------------------------------------------ 48 4.8 The Concept of a Stranger and Pilgrim ------------------------------------------------------ 50 4.9 Van Gogh's relationship with his father ------------------------------------------------------ 51 4.9.1 Analysis of Bible painting ------------------------------------------------------------------- 53 4.10 Van Gogh’s transformative experience ----------------------------------------------------- 54 4.11 The Sower --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55 4.12 The symbol of the boat ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 62 4.13 Pilgrim Spirit ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 66 4.13.1 Conflicted origins ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 67 4.13.2 At the margins -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 68 4.14 From minister of the Word to minister through art ---------------------------------------- 71 4.15 Van Gogh’s triptych ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 73 4.16 Life’s harvest: death and resurrection ------------------------------------------------------- 76 4.17 Summary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 80 Chapter 5. Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 81 5.1 Introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 81 5.2 Lived experience -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 81 IV 5.3 Conflicted relationships ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 84 5.4 Artistic pilgrimage ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 84 5.5 The Sower ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 85 5.6 Conclusion --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 85 5.7 Summary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 87 Appendices ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 88 Bibilography ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 119 V List of Tables 1. From birth to age 27 (1853-1880) -------------------------------------------------------------- 5 2. The life of Artist (1881-1890) ------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 3. Sower ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32 4. Images of boat -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------33 5. Familiar Christian themes and images ---------------------------------------------------------- 34 6. Desire for eternity ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------34 VI List of Plates 1. Godspeed! Pilgrims setting out for Canterbury ------------------------------------------------