Stirrup Shoe c. 1942

Irving L. Biehn, painted this Stirrup Shoe sometime in the 20th century, using watercolor, it looks like. Biehn's rendering is so matter-of-fact, isn't it? The color palette is mostly browns and grays, like the shoe itself, set against that flat beige background. He’s not messing around with atmosphere. It’s all about the shoe and its details. Look at the way he's captured the worn texture of the leather. The paint is thin, transparent in places, allowing the paper to peek through, which gives it this lovely, aged quality. I love how Biehn paid such close attention to the way the light hits the object, and that loop where the leather is stitched together. It's just a simple, understated gesture, but it speaks volumes about the way things are held together. You know, this piece reminds me of some of the works by those American Precisionist painters, like Charles Sheeler, who found beauty in everyday objects. But Biehn, he’s doing something different, something more intimate, maybe. It’s less about celebrating industry and more about honoring the quiet dignity of the handmade. Anyway, it's just a shoe, but it’s also so much more, right?