Man met stok in de hand 1891 - 1941

Curator: Let's turn our attention to "Man met stok in de hand," or "Man with Stick in Hand," a drawing by Leo Gestel, created sometime between 1891 and 1941. It's a portrait rendered in charcoal and pencil, now housed in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: The first impression is striking. It's so economical, this drawing – just a few bold strokes and smudges and yet, a palpable sense of heft and presence. A rugged individualism seems captured with extraordinary efficiency, almost brutal honesty. Curator: Brutal honesty, yes, a good phrase for Gestel's figuration! There is that blunt, direct gaze and the way he holds the stick--almost a staff, you know? This feels like a figure conscious of both his physical power and his role, perhaps as a worker, within a larger system. Sticks historically symbolize authority, guidance, but also dependency. Editor: The charcoal contributes so much. See how it is heavily layered in some parts to build depth, volume; particularly the hands, and compare it to the almost ephemeral hatching defining his clothing? It focuses your attention. Curator: Indeed! The starkness underscores the symbolism. We're invited to consider how society regards figures like this man. Consider this drawing in the early part of the 20th century; mass production, a need for unskilled workers rising dramatically -- men who once guided themselves became cogs within a great wheel. What sort of message is the artist intending here? Editor: Or perhaps that such roles contain a kind of intrinsic dignity? Note that the figure gazes outwards confidently despite his stocky frame, almost crude definition in charcoal, against the off-white background. Curator: Exactly, dignity wrested from simplicity, a visual metaphor for labor itself. Even within constraint, Gestel seems to be telling us, an essential humanity endures. It’s about memory, it speaks about the history of our cultures Editor: It's interesting how much narrative tension resides within such formal constraints. It highlights the potency inherent in strong artistic vision. Curator: Precisely, it's more than meets the eye; the more we deconstruct his line, form, composition, material – the more compelling this piece seems to me, thank you. Editor: My pleasure – thank you, it's something of his psychological stance on it, rather than what is simply 'out there,' I love that insight so much!