Mannenhoofd 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this drawing, "Mannenhoofd," with chalk. It's all about the process, you can see the build up of marks, where he's gone over and over the same lines to create this shadowy head. The texture of the chalk on paper gives it this rough, unfinished quality, like a fleeting thought captured on the page. There's something raw and immediate about it. Look at how he's rendered the cheek and neck, with these smudgy, almost violent strokes, and then compares that to the delicate outline of the ear. It's all about contrast. Gestel's work reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker, especially her drawings of faces. Both artists share this interest in the rough and raw, this willingness to leave the evidence of their process right there on the surface. It’s a reminder that art isn't about perfection, it's about the messy, beautiful act of trying to see.