Kraaiende haan 1934 - 1936

Leo Gestel made this drawing of a rooster, using pen and ink, sometime in his career. Just look at that rooster throwing his head back to crow! Gestel wasn't trying to capture a photographic likeness; instead, he was playing with the push and pull of black and white shapes to create something bold and expressive. The stark contrast of the black ink against the paper gives the image a graphic punch. Gestel uses thick, confident lines to define the rooster and the foliage around it, but then leaves areas open, letting the white of the paper become part of the composition. Check out the way he’s dappled the rooster’s body with little dots. There’s a wonderful balance between precision and spontaneity, a real sense of the hand at work. Gestel, like his contemporary Jan Sluyters, was influenced by modernism. You can see this in his willingness to simplify forms and experiment with abstraction. It’s a reminder that art is a conversation across time, each artist building upon the ideas of those who came before.