Pair of Pumps in Two Kinds of Leather c. 1937

Here are some white pumps, made of two kinds of leather, by A. van Goethem. I see the artist carefully chose the leather, cut it with precision, stitched it with care, and then repeated the process again for the second shoe. The process itself is a kind of conversation, isn't it? I imagine A. van Goethem as being in a conversation with other shoemakers. It’s a dialogue about line and form. When they cut the leather, were they thinking about line in the same way an artist thinks about it? Were they aware of the subtle curves and angles they were creating? Each stitch, each cut seems an intentional decision, a deliberate stroke. It's like they’re building up a composition, one layer at a time, until they have a finished shoe, a work of art that also happens to be functional. And maybe, just maybe, that's what art is all about: finding the artfulness in everyday life.