GOGH, Vincent van (b. 1853, Groot Zundert, d. 1890, Auvers-sur-Oise) |
Three Pairs of ShoesDecember 1886, ParisOil on canvas, 49 x 72 cm Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge | |
Catalogue numbers: F 332, JH 1234. The three pairs of shoes on a yellowish cloth are the trademark of an artist who has traveled a long way. Van Gogh's attention is on the signs of heavy use. The worn leather, the ragged sole, the turned-back upper and the toe of the welt parting from the sole, are all emphatic indications of wear and tear. The shoes are seen without any illusions - a still-life of mimetic fidelity. |