Twee vissen in het water 1939 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this drawing of two fish in water, with ink on paper. I’m thinking about Gestel, with his pen in hand, drawing and re-drawing lines to explore the slippery nature of water and aquatic life. Did he make this sketch at the aquarium, maybe? I like the simplicity of it all. The water rendered as bands, and the fish, almost cartoon-like in their depiction. The dark lines of the reeds in the foreground, obscuring the figures of the fish. I wonder if he might have been inspired by Japanese prints? I love the flattening of space, and the graphic sensibility that gives the image such a unique feel. I wonder if the work might have influenced other artists? There are so many artists out there riffing off each other, passing on ideas, and working through each other's innovations. It is a giant conversation taking place across time. Anyway, this is what I see, but what do *you* see?