Shoes

A Pair of Shoes (1886)

Vincent Van Gogh

Oil on Canvas

http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsp?page=1576&lang=en

Van Gogh was a tortured soul and often painted pleasant subjects amplified by bright colors. This painting of ragged shoes represent his difficult passage through life. Although these shoes look well-worn it is said that they were purchased by Van Gogh at a  flee market and were worn by him during a heavy rain pour in order to make them look distressed. Other speculation claims that the shoes represent a hard but picturesque life of a laborer.

Whatever the meaning behind the shoes is, the subject remains unlike his more famous paintings. The shoes are represented not as an accessory but as a bare necessity for a hard-working man. Van Gogh’s swift brushstrokes and the stringy laces add emphasis to the worn look. The isolation of the shoes also contributes to the “hard-times” symbolism. Van Gogh chose to show a hard truth in the shoes rather than a glamorous fantasy like other paintings of his.

“I experience a period of frightening clarity in those moments when nature is so beautiful. I am no longer sure of myself, and the paintings appear as in a dream”- Van Gogh

Lounge Time

Nathan Rohlander

Oil on Canvas

http://www.rohlander.com/Nathan_Rohlander/Bio_Contact.html

Familiar? Rohlander’s works have been seen all over. The most notable painting is placed in the foyer of Gloria and Jay’s house in the TV show ‘Modern Family’. Rohlander has done a series of paintings which showcase the feet and legs of people in various situations. One can tell what activity the subject is involved in just by noting the position of their lower halves. Rohlander is known for bringing a contemporary approach to realism. This advancement has lent Rohlander a uniqueness in his paintings.

Hailing from California, Rohlander is an expert on human interactions in the social scene. By the looks of the women’s clothing these are two office workers wo have switched in to red pumps for a night out. One can identify them as office workers by presence of the black and gray pencil skirts. Another action that is clear by the focus on people’s bottom halves is that the two women seem to be competing for the attention of the man in the middle. By their positioning, Rohlander has demonstrated that the man is interested in the girl with the gray pencil skirt. Unlike Van Gogh Rohlander portrayed the glamorous life that a shoe can have. When put in this setting the shoes can be respected in the life of their wearer.