Hoofden van een kussend stel 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this graphite drawing, Heads of a Kissing Couple, with quick, almost ghostly lines. It looks like he was trying to capture a fleeting moment, searching for the right angles and forms to convey intimacy. I can almost feel Gestel's hand moving across the paper, lightly sketching the contours of the faces, the soft pressure of lips meeting. He probably wanted to get a sense of the human form, the way faces tilt and merge in a kiss. The smudged shadows create a sense of depth, and the figures seem to emerge from the blank space. It reminds me of other artists, like Rodin, who explored similar themes of love and connection through fragmented forms. And, like them, Gestel shows us that incompleteness and ambiguity can be powerful tools for expressing complex emotions. Artists are always talking to each other, even across time!