The newest exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, "Walk This Way," is a bit unconventional in that it involves, as the name suggests, a great deal of walking.
The exhibit, which features 28 pairs of shoes ranging from ancient to modern;,from miniscule boots to towering platforms, is scattered throughout the museum's galleries.
The collection of shoes is not new to the MFA, but highlighted by strategic pairing with other relevant works of art. Instead of blending with the rest of the gallery, the shoes are used to illuminate aspects of famous paintings, sculptures and other artworks.
Some of the relationships between the shoes and artwork are fairly expected and often based on the time period in which both were made. A pair of men's leather boots from the 1600s resides in the room full of European Paintings from the same time period. In fact, the plaque next to the boots points to a nearby painting featuring a seated man wearing seemingly identical boots. Seeing the actual boots next to the representation brings the dated painting to life.
Other connections are not based on time period at all. A pair of Nike cleats worn by Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Boston Red Sox can be found among Greek vases depicting ancient athletes. Delicate suede sandals worn by Marilyn Monroe are cleverly placed next to one of the well-known Andy Warhol prints of her image. A pair of well-worn Russian pointe shoes, decorated with rhinestones and signed by the ballerina, appear in the impressionist gallery as the tangible inspiration behind the Degas ballet scenes.
Many of the pairings also reveal the ways in which older art shaped modern fashion. The gilded, swirling d?©cor of the European gallery is echoed in a fantastic pair of Miu Miu platform wedges. The fire engine red patent leather uppers of the shoes provide a modern contrast to the carved designs beneath. A pair of French slippers is located in the gallery of Roman art. At first they seem out of place, but that's only before reading that the delicate sequined grape veins adorning them are meant to evoke the art of the Roman god Dionysus. Our modern fashion world is not the first to look to the past for inspiration. The French did the same to create their own trends back in the 1790s.
The exhibit also offers some surprisingly interesting bits of information if examined carefully. Who knew that the word "sabotage" actually comes from a pair of wooden French shoes called sabots? French workers, fed up with industrial life, apparently threw the clunky shoes into the machines they were working at in protest. The Turkish stilts are also sure to baffle. Lavishly decorated and more like miniature tables than footwear, they were meant to keep one from slipping in the Turkish baths.
"Walk This Way" is not just for those with a shoe fetish (though it's sure to please the inner Carrie Bradshaw in any woman), but will appeal to anyone interested in rediscovering many of the museum's well-known pieces and exploring connections between a multitude of art styles and periods.
Be sure to leave ample time for a visit, for seeing every pair of shoes takes time; meandering though two floors full of galleries can take at least an hour and a half to two hours. For newcomers to the MFA, "Walk This Way" can act as a guided exploration of the museum. Follow the trail of shoes and you'll end up familiarizing yourself with the majority of the museum.
Take a walk at the MFA anytime through Mar. 23 and take part in what the museum calls its "treasure hunt." Each pair of shoes, whether Nike cleats or Nubian sandals, is well worth the trek.
