Bloemen en golven 1939 - 1941

Leo Gestel created this pencil drawing, Bloemen en golven, sometime in his career. It's a simple sketch, really, but it speaks volumes about process. You can almost feel Gestel working through ideas, trying out shapes, seeing how they play together. The graphite is soft, smudgy in places, giving the flowers a certain weight, while the waves are light and airy. Look at the repetition of form, how the curves of the petals echo in the waves below. There's a real sense of rhythm here, like a visual poem. Notice the central leaves which are mirrored, creating a sense of depth and symmetry which hold together the looser, more organic shapes surrounding them. I'm reminded of Matisse's paper cut-outs, that same playful exploration of form and line. Ultimately, it’s this embrace of ambiguity and multiple interpretations that makes art so compelling.