Van Gogh, "Boots" ("Shoes"): history and description of the painting

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Painting is one of the most influential areas of art. The power of the image is able to take the viewer to a completely different time, place or even a different reality. Any artist strives to convey the image, meaning in the most detailed and plausible way, or vice versa - to show it in a veiled way, so as to encourage a person to think, analyze, and sometimes look for answers in other areas of art.

A few words about the artist

Vincent van Gogh is a unique personality, an innovative artist who created many masterpieces in various styles. Although during his lifetime he was able to sell only one of his paintings, today the author is one of the most popular and discussed. It is especially noteworthy that, in fact, Van Gogh was self-taught. Of course, private lessons played an important role in improving his skills, but he gathered most of his knowledge by independently studying educational literature, mastering various techniques and styles of painting. Such a stubborn desire to become an artist speaks of the strength of character of a genius. He aspiredwork - work greedily and quickly. In some periods, Van Gogh painted one painting every day - that is why today we have the opportunity to see almost his entire path, embodied on canvas.

Styles in the works of the master

The artist has come a long way in the development of his own handwriting. His training in painting began with the creation of small sketches, written in pencil. Van Gogh did not believe that a painting was just a free manifestation of fantasy, so he carefully studied textbooks, took lessons and, of course, practiced a lot. This initial stage passed under the banner of realism. Van Gogh's “Boots”, his famous painting “The Potato Eaters”, some self-portraits can be attributed to this period. One of the first works was the painting "Roofs" depicting the view from the window of the artist's room. Many stories were inspired by peasant life - this is how the canvases “Two Women on the Moorland”, “Houses”, “Women in the Dunes Repairing Nets” and many others appear.

Myths and truth about the creation of the canvas

The story of Van Gogh's "Boots" is associated with another work by the author - "The Potato Eaters". The latter was created a year before the "Shoes" - in 1885. The painting depicts five peasants at the table, there is an ordinary evening meal of poor workers. Not a single character has legs visible here - it is understood that the shoes have already been removed and are waiting for the next day of work. And Van Gogh took all these shoes on a separate canvas. Some art historians even combine these 10paintings under one common name - “Old Shoes”.

Another hypothesis says that Van Gogh himself bought the shoes depicted in the painting of the same name at a flea market from a worker. They were rough, but quite clean and decent. After the first walk in the rain, the shoes got dirty and acquired an even more interesting look, which the artist decided to capture. One way or another, the painting “Boots” by Vincent van Gogh has quite obvious implications. She conveys the image of a poor peasant life, moreover, she does it better than any other canvas that describes hard work.

One way or another, Van Gogh's “Boots” is a realistic reflection of reality. Two old shoes stand carelessly left by their owner.

Technique and colors

Vincent van Gogh admitted that he did not use any system or special technique for applying paint to the canvas. Even in a letter to his brother and close friend Theo, he wrote: "There is no system in my strokes, I put them on the canvas with uneven strokes of the brush and leave them as they are. There are no shadows in the picture, and the color is superimposed flatly, like in Japanese prints."

But, as absurd as it may seem, Van Gogh's “Boots” can hardly be called a surrealistic painting, it seems so detailed and thoughtful. Each curve is drawn with incredible precision, although, looking closely, you can really see only separate, sometimes incoherent strokes, which miraculously combine into an absolutely solid canvas.

Single color temperature and taupe tonesmany critics quite logically explain that Van Gogh's early palette was quite stingy, because he began the path of the artist with the creation of small pencil sketches.

Several other works from the "Old Shoes" series

Van Gogh's “Pair of Shoes” gives us a completely different idea of the owner of the shoes depicted. These are no longer dirty peasant shoes, but, apparently, the shoes of a worker from a factory or other “clean” production. The sole of one shoe is generously lined with nails that have already been polished from constant walking. Moreover, they seem to be endowed with a soul and even talk to each other! Look at how carefully the left shoe is tilted over the fallen right one. It's like he's asking his friend if he's okay.

Psychology of paintings

Van Gogh's depiction of old shoes can be interpreted in different ways. The first point of view is quite simple to understand, it says that the artist simply wanted to reflect in his works the plight of an ordinary peasant or worker. And a picture of old, worn-out shoes would perfectly convey this idea.

And the second point of view offers us a much deeper and more philosophical reflection. Shoes are the personification of the soul of their owner. Looking at their trampled and cracked soles, we see how difficult the life of the person who wore them was, how many emotional wounds he suffered, how exhausted he was by his life in its monotony and heaviness.

The philosopher Heidegger wrote about the paintings of the cycle: "From the dark trampledthe inside of these shoes looks motionless at us the hard work of heavily stepping feet while working in the field. Anxious concern for the future daily bread shows through in these shoes."

Without a doubt, Van Gogh is a brilliant personality. He worked with incredible dedication, very quickly and greedily. That is why now we have the opportunity to see so many of his unusual works. Any of his plots is filled with deep experience, philosophical thought, psychologism or simply contemplation of beauty.

Most of the originals are kept in Amsterdam, in the Vincent Van Gogh Museum. There are also some works by Monet, Gauguin, Signac and Picasso. The original painting by Van Gogh "Boots" is now also in this museum.