Man op handen en knieën 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel drew this image of a man on his hands and knees with crayon. The smudgy quality of the crayon is so evocative, you can almost feel the texture of the paper and the weight of the man's body. I'm drawn to the way Gestel uses line to define the form, but then softens it with shading, creating a real sense of depth. There's a vulnerability to the figure, bent over, grounded, like the artist is capturing a moment of quiet contemplation. Look at the detail in the hands; they're almost animalistic, but also tender. Gestel’s work reminds me a bit of Käthe Kollwitz's drawings, with that same sense of empathy. In the end, art isn’t about fixed meanings, but about opening up a space for feeling, for connection.