Slapende vrouw 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel created this small drawing, titled "Slapende Vrouw," presumably with pen and ink on paper. The stark black lines evoke a sense of both simplicity and depth, typical of graphic art. The choice of such immediate materials—paper, pen, ink—contrasts with the complexity of the scene, full of domestic objects, plants and animals, and the sleeping woman in the foreground. Notice how the contrast is crucial to the composition, defining the shapes and giving the artwork a graphic quality. What is the relationship between the laboring artist and the sleeping woman? It reminds us that the process of artmaking is itself a form of work, and that all labor deserves rest. Gestel’s drawing invites us to reflect on the labor involved in both creating and viewing art, blurring the lines between the studio and the world it represents. The simple medium belies the profound statement it makes about the nature of work and rest.