Haven met een schip en drie mannen 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this drawing, ‘Haven met een schip en drie mannen’—Harbor with a ship and three men—with pen in brown ink and graphite on paper. I love the way this work presents such a sketched and minimal view. See how Gestel quickly captured a scene on the water’s edge, using line and form to suggest the presence of boats and figures. The marks appear tentative, searching, like the artist is thinking through the composition right in front of us. I’m really struck by that lone figure at the top. What’s he doing? It’s so simple, but Gestel manages to capture the feeling of a real place. I feel the gentle breeze off the water. It’s great to see the bare bones of a painting in these simple shapes. It reminds me that we are all connected, through art. Like how one artist’s sketch can spark a conversation across time and space.