Shoes
Original title: Shoes
kurzbeschreibung
A pair of shoes rests on wooden floorboards in Vincent van Gogh's 'Schuhe' from 1888, painted in oil on canvas. The work, measuring 45.7 × 55.2 cm, arranges everyday objects into a still-life-like grouping.
Description
There they lie, brown-toned with yellow laces, on a surface of wooden planks that create a clear pattern. Earth tones dominate the palette, with blue and red providing accents here and there. The thick brushstrokes remain visible, giving the surface texture. Diffused light falls warmly and naturally on the shoes and boards.
Context
In 1888 van Gogh was working in Arles, southern France. There he experimented with strong colors and an expressive brushstroke, inspired by the landscape and light of the south. Shoes appear repeatedly in his work, often as a reference to the hardships of peasants and laborers. The painting belongs to a phase in which he produced numerous still lifes.
Impact
The earthy tones and rough texture make the painting directly sensuous. Through the intense manner of painting, the everyday shoes take on something monumental and prompt reflection on transience.
Technique
Oil paint on canvas, applied in thick, clearly visible strokes, creating a relief-like surface. The colors are set directly and impasto, which defines the painting's expressive power.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)