Vliegende duif 1891 - 1941

Curator: Leo Gestel’s "Vliegende duif," created sometime between 1891 and 1941, is an ink drawing on paper currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first thought? The minimalist aesthetic almost makes it feel like a logo—instantly recognizable, boldly outlined. It gives the sense of pure, unfettered motion. Curator: Indeed, the use of line is quite striking. The simplified form, almost bordering on the abstract, focuses our attention on the essence of the bird in flight, not the details. Note how Gestel uses contour lines to define the form, and parallel lines for shading and creating depth. Editor: And those stylized wings—almost symmetrical—imply soaring, transcendence, even a touch of the theatrical! I get the urge to flap my own arms. Is it just me, or is there a slightly comical element to this serious, streamlined design? The bird seems oddly pleased with itself. Curator: Interesting. From a formalist perspective, that could be interpreted as the tension between representation and abstraction—the subject is rendered in a highly stylized way, inviting multiple interpretations. The contrast is crucial to Modernist theory. Editor: Absolutely, there's this whimsical sense that the subject is breaking from the usual boundaries! And while it’s just black ink on paper, there's a quality that suggests something greater. Do you think the cartoon style enhances the theme of figuration or subverts it somehow? Curator: That's precisely the kind of ambiguity Gestel plays with. Is it merely decorative, or is it pointing to something deeper about freedom, spirituality, the artist’s own sense of liberation perhaps? Editor: The pigeon does have such a timeless and enduring meaning...It's a bold statement on paper and gives plenty to think about. Curator: The work's ability to speak across decades reflects Gestel’s remarkable mastery of visual language. Editor: It's hard to deny the power of art that distills emotion down to such a singular form. A sketch of something complex.