Briefkaart aan Jan Ponstijn before 1916

Leo Gestel made this little watercolour postcard to Jan Ponstijn with ink and watercolour. It's like a quick burst of energy, isn't it? A celebration in yellow ochre, I think artmaking is about this kind of freedom. Gestel uses colour sparingly, a wash of blue, a dab of grey. Notice how the coins, or whatever they are, rain down with a frantic energy, each one a little sketch in itself. The figures almost feel like they're being tickled by the falling forms. Look at the way he's used the ink line to define the figures, a bit wobbly, a bit unsure, but full of character. It reminds me a bit of George Grosz, that same directness of line, that same feeling of being right there in the moment, but with an added touch of joy. Art is a dialogue, a conversation across time. It's nice to think of Gestel sending this off as a small gift. It's that kind of generosity that makes art so special.