À propos de l’œuvre
Chaussures, par Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh · August 1888 · Arles
Shoes, F461Reproduction of oil painting on canvas
Two worn work shoes are placed on the tiled floor of the Yellow House; Van Gogh treats their folds, laces and soles like the features of a faceless portrait.
Look at the work
A pair of shoes in the Yellow House
Both shoes are seen from above. The one on the left opens backwards, while the one on the right has its wide tip and raised tongue. The untied laces cross the composition in flexible lines.
The pink, beige and gray tiles are painted in large oblique rectangles. A shadow of small blue hatching extends behind the right shoe and anchors the pair to the floor.
The Metropolitan Museum locates this still life in Arles and recognizes in the background the tiled floor of the Yellow House. The shoes were sometimes compared to the peasant Patience Staircase, painted by Van Gogh during the same summer, but their owner remains uncertain.
Composition, touch and color
Three observations specific to this painting
The current Met notice gives 45.7 × 55.2 cm and the 1992.374 inventory; F461/JH1569 distinguishes this Arlesian pair from shoes painted in Paris.
A portrait by usury
Folds, stitching, warped leather and thick soles suggest a long history of use without showing who wore them.
A look from above
The high point of view brings the shoes closer to the viewer and transforms the tiles into an almost abstract background.
Colorful browns
Ocher, olive, red, blue and black build leather. Shoes are never reduced to a uniform brown.
Documented benchmarks
Precisely identify the original work
Van Gogh had already painted several pairs of shoes in Paris; this work is his singular return to the motif during the Arles period.
The tiles of the Yellow House
The Met brings the painted floor here closer to that visible in other views of the house occupied by Van Gogh in Arles.
A cautious attribution
The shoes may have belonged to Patience Escalier or Van Gogh himself; no identification is certain.
Number 1992.374
The Metropolitan Museum purchased the work in 1992 with a donation from the Annenberg Foundation.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
The copy must regain the heaviness of the soles, the free laces, the folds of the leather and the temperature differences between the tiles.
- The dark tongue of the right shoe
- The laces untied in the center
- Thick and worn soles
- Pink and beige tiles
- Blue shadow in fine hatching
Work sheet
| Title | Shoes, F461 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh (1853 -1890) |
| Date | August 1888 |
| Place of creation | Arles |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 45.7 × 55.2 cm |
| Inventory | Metropolitan Museum of Art 1992.374 · F461 · JH1569 |
| Conservation | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
From order to shipping
In your interior
A sober and very expressive still life
The horizontal format is suitable for an office, entrance or workshop. Earth brown, beige, gray pink and slate blue match leather, black metal and raw wood.
Frequently asked questions
Before ordering
Is this a canvas print?
No. Each reproduction is manually painted in oil on canvas. Brushstrokes and material variations belong to the final result.
How is the visual reference chosen?
The Metropolitan Museum's Open Access image measured 3,803 × 3,180 px; it was reduced to 3,000 × 2,509 px and converted into a real WebP.
Can I check the result before shipping?
Yes. Photographs of the finished painting are sent to you; you can request alterations before validating the shipment.
Are custom formats possible?
Yes. The format can be adapted to your wall while maintaining the proportions and balance of the original composition.
