Mallorca - 1914 1914

Leo Gestel drew this harbor scene in Mallorca, in 1914, probably with charcoal or graphite. The approach to mark-making here feels really thoughtful; there's a concerted effort to represent a scene without being too descriptive. I really get a sense of materiality from the surface of the drawing, the texture of the paper coming through. The marks are very physical, not obscured at all. You can see every stroke and decision he made. Take a look at the boats at the front of the picture. Each one is reduced to its barest form, just a few lines suggesting its shape, but somehow they feel weighty and substantial. Gestel was working at a time when artists were questioning everything about representation. This drawing isn't trying to trick you into thinking it's a real place. It's more like an invitation to imagine a place, and that's what makes it so compelling for me. It reminds me of some drawings by Picasso at a similar time.