Artwork
Shoes
Shoes is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in Arles in 1888, the painting focuses on the footwear as its primary subject matter, rendered in oil paint on canvas.
The work depicts a pair of shoes presented within the genre of still life. Created in Arles in 1888, the painting focuses on the footwear as its primary subject matter, rendered in oil paint on canvas. While the visual representation is straightforward, the classification of the piece as a still life suggests an emphasis on the form and presence of the objects themselves rather than a narrative scene.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the painting, which measures approximately 45.7 by 55.2 centimeters. The depiction isolates the shoes, inviting attention to their material reality and the artist's handling of the medium, consistent with Vincent van Gogh's approach to everyday objects during this period.
Technique & Style
The work titled Shoes is an oil painting executed on canvas in 1888 while Van Gogh was residing in Arles. It measures approximately 45.7 cm in height by 55.2 cm in width. The painting is classified as a still life and was created using oil paint.
Van Gogh's technique involves layered brushstrokes that render the shoes with a vivid palette and textured surface, characteristic of his late still-life period. The piece is currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
The work dates to 1888, when Van Gogh was living in Arles. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection as part of its holdings by the mid-twentieth century, where it has remained. No record of a formal commission has been identified; its status as an independent still life suggests it was created on the artist's initiative during his intensive period of painting objects and interiors.
The work is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is accessioned as 65.179.1. It was acquired by the museum in 1965 and has since remained in the collection.
Overview
Vincent van Gogh's oil painting, titled Shoes, presents a still life featuring two pairs of well-worn footwear. This work is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The artist employed oil paint to render the objects with a distinct visual and textural quality, emphasizing their used condition.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art.
