Shoes c. 1590 - 1596

Curator: Let's turn our attention to "Shoes," a photo capturing a leather shoe dated from around 1590 to 1596, part of the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: Its forlorn presence immediately strikes me; the heavy leather, deeply shadowed, has a worn-out aesthetic that seems utterly without pretension. Curator: This image speaks volumes about class and labour, doesn't it? Imagine the wear and tear, the countless steps taken. It reminds us that this simple object connects to broader narratives about inequality and resilience in early modern Europe. What does this worn-out sole say about its place in that hierarchy? Editor: Precisely! The creases, the cuts, the mended spots...they all compose a topography of use. Consider how the light glances across the different textures of the weathered material; notice, too, the careful rendering of the curves, the geometry inherent in the construction itself, beyond its purpose. Curator: It also makes one consider gendered dimensions. Who might have worn this shoe? A man or a woman and what kinds of social activities they were engaged in? How does the shoe mirror shifts in power structures of that moment? Editor: And yet, divorced from any other context beyond a flat plane and minimalist lighting, the shoe's status as pure form grows clearer, just like a piece of discarded conceptual sculpture or readymade art! The shape dominates everything else, as an idea independent of labor or economics. Curator: But let’s not ignore the history. What was the process for the photography itself? How was it set in relation to this singular object? Every mark, every blemish tells its own micro-story, connected inextricably to society at the time. Editor: An argument well made. Still, focusing on that surface illuminates how material decay can become another level of its form! I've genuinely changed my mind from my opening view here by considering your social take on the photograph itself. Thank you. Curator: Thanks! These works give a rare glimpse into lives, and that in itself becomes incredibly thought provoking once brought out.