Naakte vrouwen, satyrs, eenhoorns, zwanen en katachtigen 1891 - 1941

This sheet of studies was made by Leo Gestel, sometime between the wars. He’s used pencil to arrange these figures on a page. There’s a real sense of the artist at work here; the image feels like a sketch ripped straight from the pad. Gestel arranges his naked women, satyrs, unicorns, and wild cats, playfully across the surface. These are raw, elemental forms, quickly wrought, the textures are spare, the details minimal. Look how, in the upper right, the satyr with a pipe is rendered with soft, tentative lines and gentle shading. The lines are delicate, they appear to almost caress the paper. Note the way that the artist has returned to the same form multiple times, as though not quite satisfied with his initial attempt. This speaks to a process of refinement, the ongoing search for the perfect form. Gestel’s arrangement recalls the earlier work of Picasso, whilst pre-empting the later work of artists like Keith Haring, it shows that artists have always looked to each other to find new ways of seeing and making. This piece is a reminder that art is a conversation across generations, always evolving, and forever open to new interpretations.