Twee schepen en een figuur 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this drawing of two ships and a figure, but when? It's so simple, almost child-like, but with an assuredness of line. I think the artist was really looking, but also not trying too hard. See how the boats are rendered with just a few strokes? It feels like Gestel was trying to capture the essence of these forms, not a photographic likeness. The colors, subdued blues and browns, give a sense of calm, but the rough, almost scribbled lines add a touch of restlessness. That figure in the background – what's he doing? Is he even there, or just a phantom of the artist's imagination? It reminds me of some early modernists, playing with form and perception, like they're all in conversation, trying to figure out what a picture can be. Gestel seems to be asking: how little can I do and still make it work? How much can I suggest, rather than state? It's this dance between seeing and feeling, knowing and guessing, that makes it so alive.