Van Gogh's First Sermon and Artistic Journey Explored in Kröller-Müller Publication

At twenty-three, Vincent van Gogh delivered his first sermon in English on Sunday, 29 October 1876, at the Wesleyan Methodist church in Richmond, while staying in Isleworth, England. He transcribed the sermon across five dense pages in a letter to his brother Theo, invoking John Bunyan's allegorical novel The Pilgrim's Progress (1678) multiple times. The text opens with the reflection that life is a pilgrim's journey, describing humans as strangers on earth yet not alone. Van Gogh's biography is well documented: after years at Goupil and a period of religious fervor, he decided at twenty-seven to become a painter. The article examines what accompanied and guided Vincent's artistic voyage, presented alongside a work from left, Vincent van Gogh, Avenue of Poplars at Nuenen. The piece is authored by Mariella Guzzoni and Anita Romanello and published by Doppiozero on Monday, 5 October 2026. It connects the Kröller-Müller Museum's Van Gogh holdings with the artist's early spiritual writings, tracing the transition from preacher to painter through his correspondence and the literary influences that shaped his path.