Van Gogh in

Dordrecht

Vincent lived in Dordrecht for three months and worked in a bookshop there.

He arrived in the city in January 1877 to work for Blussé & Van Braam. Vincent did not enjoy the job; he longed to be a minister and was preoccupied by thoughts of Christianity and his future. He worked long days in the shop and spent his scant free time walking through the city, conversing with his housemate and reading the Bible in his room. He lodged with Pieter Rijken and his wife, Maria Aelmans, who kept a boarding house above their grocery store. Vincent’s religious fanaticism was so intense that he attended services at three different churches every Sunday. His 13 preserved letters from Dordrecht are packed with biblical references. Vincent’s desire to receive holy orders grew steadily and he looked into studying theology. He left Dordrecht in May 1877 to prepare for his training in Amsterdam.