Three Pairs of Shoes

Made at a time when Van Gogh was deeply engaged with still life, this composition is painted over another image of a large bouquet of flowers in a vase. It is one of a series of five paintings of shoes by the artist. Their arrangement in a diagonal line lends the scene a sense of balance, while the playful individuality of each boot adds rhythmic movement to the composition. Placed on a white cloth, the shoes operate within the still life tradition, but the distinctive character of each one, and their recognizable identity as part of the attire of Parisian laborers, evokes comparisons to portraiture. The figural aspects of the shoes are enhanced by Van Gogh’s singular application of paint, notably the sculptural impasto, which gives vitality to details such as the nail heads in the heel of the central shoe.