Vrouw met gespreide armen boven een landschap 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this gouache on paper, titled 'Vrouw met gespreide armen boven een landschap', here at the Rijksmuseum. The marks are so gestural and free, it’s like watching Gestel think aloud with paint. The palette is restrained – earthy browns and blues, fleshy pinks – but within that, there's so much modulation. Look at the way the figure floats above the landscape, arms outstretched. It's like she's both blessing the scene and being supported by it. The paint is applied in these loose, almost scribbled strokes, creating a sense of movement and energy. You can almost feel the artist's hand at work, pushing and pulling the paint across the surface. I’m reminded of Paula Modersohn-Becker, another artist who wasn't afraid to embrace the raw, imperfect beauty of the painted mark. This piece invites us to slow down, to linger, and to appreciate the messy, intuitive process of artmaking.