Carol A. Berry offers a profound exploration of Vincent van Gogh, informed by decades of study and guidance from Henri J.M. Nouwen. Her deep engagement with the artist's life is further enriched by extensive travels through Europe, retracing his footsteps in the places he lived and worked. As an artist and educator herself, Berry illuminates the spiritual dimensions woven into van Gogh's compelling art. Her work invites readers to discover the intricate connections between artistic creation, personal experience, and enduring spiritual vision.
Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) is arguably the most beloved artist in the world. He was also an artist motivated by a deep spiritual vision - expressed first in his efforts to become a missionary and lay-minister and later, after his decisive break with organized religion, through his art. Through art he found a new way to express his solidarity and compassion for humanity, and to awaken people to the sacred depths of reality.
Carol Berry and her husband met and befriended Henri Nouwen when she sat in his course on compassion at Yale Divinity School in the 1970s. At the request of Henri Nouwen's literary estate, she has written this book, which includes unpublished material recorded from Nouwen's lectures. As an art educator, Berry is uniquely situated to develop Nouwen's work on Vincent van Gogh and to add her own research. She fills in background on the much misunderstood spiritual context of van Gogh's work, and reinterprets van Gogh's art (presented here in full color) in light of Nouwen's lectures. Berry also brings in her own experience in ministry, sharing how Nouwen and van Gogh, each in his own way, led her to the richness and beauty of the compassionate life.