Twee naakte zwemmende vrouwen en vijf meeuwen 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this drawing of two swimming women and some seagulls on paper, but we don’t know exactly when. The beauty of a drawing like this lies in its process, its openness. You can see the artist thinking through the composition, making decisions as he goes. It's all about the lines, right? Look how they flow and dance, defining the shapes of the bodies and the birds. The simplicity of the medium allows for a certain intimacy. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the page, capturing the essence of the scene with just a few strokes. It's like he's inviting us to join him in the act of creation, to fill in the blanks and imagine the scene coming to life. Gestel reminds me a bit of Matisse, who could also do so much with just a line. Like Matisse, he shows us that art doesn't always have to be about perfection or precision. Sometimes, it's about capturing a feeling, a moment, with all its imperfections and ambiguities.