The Red Shoe 

William Balthazar Rose’s ‘The Red Shoe’ is an oil painting on canvas, and through its materiality, a dialogue between the viewer and the world of work is created. Rose’s choice of oil paint is key, creating a balance between surface and depth. The rough, textured surface, achieved through layering and visible brushstrokes, gives the work a tactile quality, a directness that draws us closer. The weight of the paint itself contributes to the painting’s physical presence and a sense of labor. It suggests a slow, deliberate construction of the image. The painting depicts a man with a red shoe, seemingly unscathed while cooks carry another chef out of the kitchen. The narrative, combined with the tactile materiality, emphasizes the social context of the kitchen: the hierarchies, pressures, and the labor inherent in the culinary world. ‘The Red Shoe’ challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and craft. It’s a reminder that the value of art lies not only in its aesthetic qualities, but also in its connection to the world around us, and the human experience, including labor.