Karikatuur van Leo Gestel op zijn ziekbed 1911 - 1941

This is a small pencil drawing, a caricature of Leo Gestel, made at some point during his life, probably while he was sick in bed. I love seeing an artist draw another artist, especially when it's this raw, just lines on paper, almost like a quick thought escaping from the hand. The lines are so free, they don't seem to care about being perfect or realistic. It’s all about capturing a feeling, an essence. You can almost feel the scratch of the pencil, the artist quickly trying to get the image down before it disappears. Look at the way the lines wobble and dance, especially around the mouth and eyes. There's a real energy there, a sense of movement and life. It reminds me of some of Guston's later work, where he embraced this kind of messy, imperfect drawing. It’s like art is just one big conversation across time, with artists riffing off each other’s ideas and styles. This piece is a reminder that art doesn't always have to be polished and perfect; sometimes, the best stuff is the stuff that feels the most alive.