Studieblad met vrouwen die waterkruiken op het hoofd dragen en enkele andere schetsen 1891 - 1941

Editor: This is "Studieblad met vrouwen die waterkruiken op het hoofd dragen en enkele andere schetsen," or "Study Sheet with Women Carrying Water Jugs on their Heads and Several Other Sketches" by Leo Gestel, dating from 1891 to 1941. It's a pencil drawing on paper, and it feels like looking at a glimpse into the artist’s sketchbook, with these various, seemingly unrelated studies all on one page. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The sheet gives the impression of classical themes intermixed with a budding modernity. Note the reclining nude – referencing perhaps antique statuary or academic life drawings. But then, you see these women carrying water, alongside the sketch of a rhino. What connects them? It's the colonial gaze. Editor: Colonial gaze? Curator: Yes, the European artist's perspective on the "exotic," both human and animal. The women bearing burdens – physically with the water jugs and symbolically representing labor and perhaps a romanticized view of rural life. And even the rhino. Animals such as this, brought from other lands and put on display in Zoos for viewers. Consider what it meant for Gestel to render these subjects. How did it uphold or perhaps challenge dominant power structures through the act of depiction? Editor: That’s a very interesting perspective! I hadn't considered the colonial implications so directly. Curator: It requires thinking about the intended audience for these images, the role they played in constructing ideas about different cultures and people. And also questioning how we continue to view them today within institutions like museums. Editor: I’ll definitely look at sketches differently from now on! Seeing how socio-political context adds layers to even simple drawings is really helpful. Curator: Indeed, art is always a reflection of and contributor to broader cultural currents. Analyzing the context helps uncover complex narratives, giving older work relevance today.