A Pair of Shoes - Vincent van Gogh
Archival giclée
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Description
A study of worn leather boots by Vincent van Gogh, captured with thick, expressive brushwork and an earthy palette.
Vincent van Gogh painted this study of worn leather boots during his time in Paris in 1886. The work depicts a pair of discarded, mud-caked shoes placed against a neutral, textured background. Van Gogh utilised thick, impasto brushwork to convey the physical weight and history of the objects. The heavy application of paint creates a tactile surface, emphasising the worn leather, the frayed laces, and the distorted shapes of the footwear.
Unlike the polished still lifes of his contemporaries, this painting focuses on the mundane reality of working-class life. The palette is dominated by earthy tones, including ochre, brown, and muted grey, which unify the composition. The light source appears to come from the upper left, casting soft shadows that define the volume of the boots while keeping the focus on their weathered condition. Van Gogh produced several versions of this subject, reflecting his interest in the expressive potential of ordinary items.
This specific iteration demonstrates his transition from the darker, more sombre palette of his earlier Dutch period toward the brighter, more experimental colour theories he encountered in Paris. The composition is direct and unadorned, stripping away any decorative elements to present the shoes as solitary, anthropomorphic forms. The artist's signature is visible in the upper left corner, applied with the same deliberate, heavy stroke found throughout the canvas. This print captures the texture of the original oil paint, allowing for a close examination of the artist's technique and his approach to capturing the character of everyday objects.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
A Pair of Shoes - Vincent van Gogh
Artist Biography
Vincent Van Gogh
He taught himself to draw by copying prints and working through textbooks. His brother Theo, an art dealer in Paris, sent money every month for the rest of Vincent's life. Without Theo there are no paintings. The letters between them, over 600, are one of the most complete records of any artist's thinking. Van Gogh wrote about colour theory, composition, what he ate, what he read, how much he spent on paint. He was articulate and well-read and not, despite the popular version, simply mad.
He moved to Paris in 1886 and encountered Impressionism. The palette changed immediately: from the dark browns of his Dutch period to the colours people actually associate with his work. He met Gauguin, Pissarro, Signac, Toulouse-Lautrec. He absorbed Pointillism and Japanese prints. Then he moved to Arles in the south of France, where the light was better and people were fewer.
The Arles period produced Sunflowers, The Bedroom, Starry Night Over the Rhone. The breakdown followed: the argument with Gauguin, the severed ear (he cut part of his left ear, not the whole thing), the asylum at Saint-Remy, and then Auvers-sur-Oise, where he painted seventy canvases in seventy days before dying from a gunshot wound at thirty-seven. He sold one painting during his lifetime, or possibly two. Theo died six months later.
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