Winter in Blaricum 1937

Leo Gestel made this drawing of Winter in Blaricum using chalk, and it’s a reminder that art-making is always a process of discovery. The stark blacks and whites create a scene that feels both familiar and otherworldly, like a memory fading at the edges. Up close, you can see the physical drag of the chalk, the way it catches on the paper's surface. Gestel isn't trying to hide his process; instead, he embraces the material. Look at the rooftops of the houses. See how the chalk creates a jagged edge, a sense of roughness that mirrors the harshness of winter? It is a simple mark, but so effective. This drawing reminds me of the work of Käthe Kollwitz, who also used black and white to express the raw edges of human experience. But where Kollwitz is often focused on the figure, Gestel pulls us into a landscape that feels both intimate and vast. Art is like a conversation across time, each artist picking up the thread and weaving something new.