Moved by a desire to help people, Vincent van Gogh left art in 1876 to become a preacher.
Van Gogh’s employment with the art dealer Goupil & Cie ended in 1876. He had become increasingly interested in Christianity and wanted to devote his life to helping working people. After leaving the art trade, he worked as a teacher in England and assisted Methodist ministers, occasionally preaching and teaching Bible classes.
Van Gogh later pursued theological and missionary training. He studied in Amsterdam and attempted further religious education in Brussels, but he did not complete the programs. In 1879, he worked as a missionary preacher among coal miners in the Borinage region of Belgium.
Although Van Gogh aspired to become a pastor and was sometimes described as seeking the priesthood, “a priest” is not the most accurate answer to this question. His documented roles included preacher, lay minister, missionary, and evangelist. His experiences among impoverished miners later influenced his decision to become an artist.