Schets voor 'L'art Hollandais contemporain' van Paul Fierens (baadsters) 1932 - 1933

This is Leo Gestel’s sketch in graphite for ‘L’art Hollandais contemporain’ by Paul Fierens, now at the Rijksmuseum. It’s all about the confidence of line, isn't it? A network of tentative strokes building form, a bit like improvisational jazz, where the structure is there as a guide, not a rule. Look at the way Gestel captures the weight of the figures with so few marks! The figures are only lightly described. Their facial features are like minimal art, just a filled-in oval for an eye. But, despite this, there’s a real sense of volume and presence. The slightly smudged graphite adds a softness, a breath-like quality to the scene, making the figures feel less like solid objects and more like fleeting impressions. Gestel reminds me of Picasso, especially his drawings. Both had this amazing ability to suggest so much with so little, a kind of shorthand for the human form. Ultimately, art is a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas and ways of seeing that stretches across time.