Brief aan Harmina Catharina Ponstijn Possibly 1932

Leo Gestel made this letter to Harmina Catharina Ponstijn with pen and ink on paper. It’s a simple drawing, but it’s full of warmth, you know? The process feels really immediate. What strikes me is the way Gestel uses line. Look at those red flowers, all squiggly and outlined, and how they contrast with the blue stems. It's not about perfection, it's about capturing a feeling, a moment. The colors are muted, almost faded, which gives it this intimate, personal touch. There’s a kind of tenderness in the mark-making. This piece reminds me a bit of work by Cy Twombly, especially in the way the image is rendered as a gesture on the page. Just like Twombly, Gestel embraces the beauty of imperfection and lets the process shine through. It’s like he’s saying, "Here’s a little something I made, not perfect, but full of heart." And that, to me, is what art is all about.