Karikatuur van Leo Gestel 1911 - 1941

This is a caricature of Leo Gestel by an unknown artist, drawn with pencil on paper. The subject holds a brush aloft, a symbol of his artistic craft, evoking a sense of creative power. This gesture echoes the raised hands of orators and prophets throughout history, signifying inspiration and authority. Think of classical depictions of philosophers or even religious figures, where the raised hand denotes divine insight or intellectual prowess. But here, the caricature distorts this familiar motif. The exaggerated features of the subject and the loose, almost frenetic lines of the drawing infuse the image with a psychological intensity. The raised hand, instead of conveying wisdom, seems to teeter on the edge of madness. Consider how such symbols – the artist's tool, the raised hand – evolve, carrying collective memories and subconscious associations. Their meanings shift with time, imbued with new emotional and psychological resonance.