A Pair of Shoes Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

A description of Vincent van Gogh’s painting "A Pair of Shoes

In 1887, the famous artist W. Van Gogh painted his still life "A Pair of Shoes," part of his "Old Shoes" series of paintings. The work was done in oil on a plain canvas, but even depicting such a casual and unremarkable scene, it left few people indifferent. It is thought to be a sequel to another painting called The Potato Eaters, which shows a group of peasants having dinner. None of them have their feet visible, and perhaps the artist decided to paint their shoes on separate canvases, thereby giving a clue to the further life of the owners of the shoes.

Used men’s shoes look old and shabby. They have rarely been cared for, judging by how carelessly their owner has placed them. The shoes are done in a brown color scheme - the shades of the boots range from red to dark chocolate. In white paint, the craftsman has depicted several rows of nails, with which the soles are padded. Apparently, the boots, despite their shabby condition, remain sturdy and fit for further use.

The background, unlike the shoes, is mostly done in cool colors, which visually highlights the boots and immediately draws the viewer’s attention to them. Both the modest colors and the shabby look catch the eye immediately, which shows the owner’s need to economize on everything. Most likely, he purchased a single pair of shoes, practical and sturdy.

The whole work is done in the recognizable style of the artist. Rough strokes are wonderfully combined with soft ones, and the still life itself makes you think and look for the unusual in unremarkable things.