lthough art historians have spilled much ink on Rembrandt and van Gogh, the question “How does their art reveal their spirituality?” is seldom asked. Answering that question will be the focus of this course. Henri Nouwen’s most popular book, The Return of the Prodigal Son is a reflection on Rembrandt’s painting; and Nouwen gave a course at Yale three times in the 1970s on the art and ministry of Vincent van Gogh. We will use Nouwen’s reflections as a jumping off point for our own as we consider how Rembrandt’s and van Gogh’s spirituality is expressed by their art and what that might mean for us today.
