A Pair of Shoes
1886 Van Gogh Museum
About this artwork
This painting depicts a worn pair of dark, leather-like boots, likely belonging to a laborer, set against a muted, earthy background. Van Gogh created several still lifes of shoes, exploring themes of labor and the dignity of the working class.
Did you know?
Van Gogh's series of shoe paintings, including this one, has been the subject of extensive philosophical debate, notably between Martin Heidegger and Meyer Schapiro. They debated whether the shoes depicted belonged to a peasant woman or were the artist's own, exploring deeper meanings of hardship, labor, and the artist's connection to the world around him. These humble objects became symbols of human existence and the struggles of the working class.
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A Pair of Shoes
Vincent van Gogh, 1886
