Three Pairs of Shoes 1886 - 1887

Curator: There's an immediate sense of worn history in Van Gogh's "Three Pairs of Shoes," currently housed in the Harvard Art Museums. They’re quite somber. Editor: Yes, the painting is heavy with the weight of labor and a life lived. The shoes themselves become stand-ins for the working class, a silent commentary on their struggles. Curator: Exactly. Painted during a time of immense social change, Van Gogh uses these worn objects to highlight the often unseen and unappreciated lives of those who toiled. What do you see in their arrangement? Editor: I see a hierarchy, perhaps, or even a reflection of different stages of life. The composition almost feels like a family portrait. Curator: A family portrait of labor! I appreciate how you draw out those socio-economic threads. It encourages us to think about whose stories are represented in art and whose are not. Editor: Precisely. The mud and wear aren't just surface details; they embody lived experience, challenging traditional notions of beauty and worth. Curator: It is powerful to see such an evocative picture of a marginalized population of the time. Editor: Absolutely, these shoes tell stories that deserve to be heard.