Nurses, like angels, assist a patient, weakened from a long convalescence or possibly a stroke, to get back on his feet. It looks as though a grown man is relearning to walk. This is the start of a journey back to life, back to health. Robert acknowledges the dedicated nurses who attended him over the years; this painting is his way of saying thank you.

This allegory of “new steps” is influenced by El Greco, an artist famous for his elongated figures who are imbued with spiritual longing. Robert’s figures, with their soft shimmering outlines and indistinct features, seem slightly dematerialized, as if their spirit is stronger than their bodies. In his studies for this image, Robert posed as both a passing doctor in the hallway and as the patient. This was no doubt out of convenience, as no other models were available at the time, but it does suggest that the artist identified with his caregivers.

The first study for New Steps showed the walking man and nurses in a crowded corridor. In the large painted version, Robert eliminates the crowd, but, more importantly, he changes what the man is wearing. He is no longer in street clothes, but now wears the pyjamas and bathrobe of a long-term patient. This suggest the patient is not walking on his way out the door to be released from care. It makes the walk more symbolic, with a hint that this may be a walk that is part of a final journey.