Winter in Blaricum 1937

Leo Gestel created this stark scene, Winter in Blaricum, using black chalk and charcoal. Imagine him out there, his fingers numb, rapidly sketching to capture the raw essence of the landscape, the snow, and the skeletal trees. What strikes me most is the texture. The stark lines, layered and smudged, give the impression of snowdrifts and the chill of winter. See how he renders the buildings? They are solid, heavy, weighted down by the snow, with dark, almost haunted windows. I wonder if Gestel felt a sense of isolation here, or perhaps a strange beauty in the desolation. It’s a tough scene, rendered with such sensitivity. The lone figure walking is a powerful, universal, timeless gesture. Perhaps Gestel was in conversation with artists like Caspar David Friedrich, who placed solitary figures in similarly sublime landscapes. Painting is like that, you know, a conversation across time. Artists respond to one another's visions, offering their own perspective and understanding of the world. We are all walking the same road.