Briefkaart aan Harmina Catharina Ponstijn c. 1934

Leo Gestel made this drawing, "Briefkaart aan Harmina Catharina Ponstijn," using pen and watercolor. Gestel was part of a generation deeply affected by the social and political upheavals of the early 20th century. This portrait, addressed to Harmina Catharina Ponstijn, embodies the artist's exploration of new visual languages. The sitter’s identity, although named, is not explicitly revealed, inviting contemplation on representation. Gestel moves away from traditional portraiture, suggesting a shift from capturing likeness to exploring emotional and psychological states. Notice how the fluid lines and translucent washes create a sense of movement and impermanence. The gaze, averted and introspective, evokes a feeling of longing. The swirls that indicate the hair seem to imprison the sitter. The work invites us to reflect on the relationship between the artist, the sitter, and the viewer, blurring the boundaries between public and private, self and other. Gestel uses the immediacy of a postcard format to create an intimate connection.