Van Gogh in

Noorderkerk

The Noorderkerk was the first church that Vincent visited after arriving in Amsterdam. In subsequent weeks, he continued to attend their early (7 a.m.) services. On 10 June 1877, he heard a sermon on the parable of the sower and it greatly impressed him. The preacher, Rev. Eliza Laurillard (1830–1908), would become one of Vincent’s favourites because of his simple manner of speaking and his youthful, lively ideas. Vincent praised him in a letter to his brother Theo:

“because he paints, as it were, and his work is at once lofty and noble art. He has the feeling of an artist in the true sense of the word.” Read the complete letter