Naakte man en vrouw aan de kustlijn, omringd door zeemeeuwen 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel sketched this work on paper of a nude couple relaxing by the sea with pencil. There’s a relaxed, dreamlike quality to this scene. Look at the figures reclining on the shore, seemingly unbothered by the seagulls milling about. I can feel Gestel’s hand moving across the page, searching for the right line, the perfect curve to capture the human form. It makes me think about the way artists explore the world through drawing, how each line is a decision, a question asked and answered in real time. Gestel’s work reminds me of other artists who embraced simplicity and directness in their art. There’s a connection to Matisse’s pared-down figures and maybe a touch of Picasso’s playfulness with form. It’s like they’re all part of a conversation, each adding their voice to the ongoing exploration of what it means to be human, to see, to create.