Studieblad met vaas met bloemen, druiventros en twee geiten 1891 - 1941

Curator: I find the overall lightness so compelling in Leo Gestel’s Studieblad met vaas met bloemen, druiventros en twee geiten, an ink drawing on paper made sometime between 1891 and 1941, here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Yes, airy, with a hesitant quality! What is compelling for me are the visible process, the materiality of the paper, the quick, almost impatient marks of ink. It makes you wonder, what was he working out, or preparing for, as he composed this sketch? Curator: Right. The imagery invites layers of interpretation. On the left, a bountiful cluster of grapes surmounts what appears to be a decorative pedestal held up by two very stylized goats. A vase of lush flowers sits to the right of the image. Both compositions remind one of abundance. Grapes often symbolized fertility and transformation in older artwork. Does the quickness of line work against an intended theme of wealth? Editor: The “quickness,” as you say, makes me wonder if these images aren’t studies for an object he hoped to create later, like the quick drafts one might make as one works towards building a mass produced item or artwork. Is this an exercise in design for applied art, I wonder? Gestel was clearly handling mundane, relatively inexpensive materials—paper, ink—yet contemplating images resonant with cultural and historical meaning. Curator: I like how you've tied his methodology and material to questions of mass production. Indeed, the sketch-like quality certainly contrasts with the weighty symbolism embedded in both images. Grapes can speak of transubstantiation; flowers echo notions of beauty, nature and temporality. These things don’t automatically marry with images intended for a potentially 'common' marketplace. But maybe he wanted to play on those tensions? Editor: Maybe so. It highlights, too, the accessibility of ideas when linked to production. By investigating humble materials and methods, we might gain a more grounded appreciation for broader cultural motifs—challenging ideas surrounding what constitutes "fine" art. Curator: A rewarding way to see Gestel, grounding these classical, loaded images in real artistic labor! Editor: It truly makes one ponder the art, the art making, and the symbolism, too.