Schoen gedragen door Jhr. Mr. Dr. A.W.L. Tjarda van Starkenborch Stachouwer 1930 - 1945

These brown leather boots were made by U.S.A. Beebe Bros for Jonkheer Mr. Dr. A.W.L. Tjarda van Starkenborch Stachouwer, and I can see them taking shape, layer by layer. Imagine the hide being tanned, the leather being cut, stretched and hammered, then carefully sewn to the sole. I sympathise with the maker and I try to imagine what they might have been thinking as they worked. The artist is thinking about the person who is going to wear these boots; perhaps they were contemplating how someone else will use them as a tool for travel, movement, adventure. Look at how the material is worn, cracked and creased. I’m thinking about how the colour has faded and the leather has softened, bearing the imprint of the wearer. The laces, tied with what looks like a casual knot, give the boots a sense of character, almost like a face or figure. I’m reminded of other paintings that use clothing as a way to represent people. Painting and shoemaking are both ways of making and building, and this makes me think about all the cross-pollinations that happen between different art forms.