Postcard History

I’m not being rodomontade, but I’ve had a rather good education in art and art history. However, there are things in life that make it possible to “learn something new every day.” In at least five art history classes and dozens of seminars and workshops, I never learned of van Gogh’s painting, Schoenen (shoes) until I made my first visit to Amsterdam in the spring of 1969.

There are two magnificent museums in Amsterdam: the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. The Rijksmuseum is a beautiful building that has been the national museum of the Netherlands since 1885 and is dedicated to Dutch art and art history. The van Gogh Museum is much newer and serves a similar purpose, but the mission is centered on their native son, Vincent Willem van Gogh.

Shoes is a painting completed in Paris by the Dutch artist between September and November 1886. The work is in the collection of the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. In addition to this 1886 painting, van Gogh painted many other versions on this subject between 1886 and 1887. He literally devoted two years of his life to understanding and then visualizing shoes.

The first work supposedly originated after van Gogh visited a Paris flea market early in 1886. He discovered a pair of worn-out shoes, purchased them, and later took them to his studio in Montmartre. By one account, the shoes hurt Vincent’s feet, they did not fit well, but they prompted him into their use as a subject for a painting. And one brings about others. Many others.

Following his death, that 1886 painting became the subject of at least three art histories and one philosophical analysis, done by noteworthy art historians who drew no conclusions and failed to explain the emotional state that continued for such a long period in the artist’s life.

The shoe paintings have been described as “the most celebrated footwear in the history of modern art.”

They are examples of his range of artistic interests. Yes, he painted portraits (hundreds), flowers (dozens), seascapes (many), and skies full of stars (a few), but shoes? Yes, he painted shoes too. It is unknown how many shoe paintings were accomplished (some historians are convinced that not all the shoe paintings have been found). All of van Gogh’s topics were explorations of everyday things. He even painted a bulb of garlic. He was a master of all subjects and his emotional grappling with the nature of life, labor, and existence kept him engaged with himself. Among his most famous depictions of footwear are “A Pair of Shoes” (1886) and “Old Shoes” (1888), both of which frame a narrative not merely about the objects themselves but about the lives they represent.

Van Gogh created “A Pair of Shoes” during his time in Paris, under the influence of Impressionism and the emerging Post-Impressionist movement. This painting features a worn-out pair of boots set against a textured background that enhances their value and ruggedness. Shoes frequently symbolize the struggles of the working class, and by painting shoes van Gogh gave a voice to those who had no vote because of their obscurity.

Van Gogh painted “Old Shoes” while living in Arles, a time when he increased his focus on the symbolism behind everyday items. This work portrays old shoes that are indicative of age and the passage of time. Through the act of painting these shoes, van Gogh embeds his own emotional struggles by hinting at themes of isolation.

Van Gogh’s choice to paint shoes often stemmed from his fascination with the lives of ordinary people. After moving to the south of France, he became increasingly inspired by the peasant life and labor. The shoe paintings reflect this fascination. Each one is a contrast to the more romanticized visions of life often depicted by his contemporaries. By highlighting the unglamorous aspects of existence, van Gogh called attention to the dignity inherent in a person’s everyday struggle.

Throughout his career, van Gogh’s approach to still life and objects was not static; it evolved as he sought to capture the emotional significance in the mundane. His shoe paintings exemplify a broader philosophy that values simplicity and the profound stories hidden within ordinary objects. The shoes serve as a metaphor for the journey of life and the deeper human experience.

As we look at the last decades of the 19th century, Van Gogh’s shoe paintings were revolutionary in their departure from traditional still life. Every painting invites the viewer to reconsider the narratives we create around the objects in our lives. Rather than simply being depictions of inanimate objects, van Gogh’s shoes ask us to contemplate the lives of their wearers.