Drie koppen 1928

Curator: Leo Gestel crafted this intriguing pencil drawing, titled "Drie Koppen" or "Three Heads", in 1928. It now resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Oh, wow. Immediately, I'm struck by how raw and emotional it feels. Those faces… the angles are so sharp, the eyes intense. There's a definite tension in the air. It's like peering into a very dramatic dream. Curator: Indeed. Gestel, influenced by Expressionism, uses the medium of drawing to explore the depths of human emotion and experience. The distorted forms are a hallmark of the Expressionist movement, a departure from realistic representation towards a focus on subjective feeling. Editor: That makes total sense. I feel the artist trying to capture something beyond just their physical likeness. More like a psychological portrait. Each face seems to be lost in its own internal world. What can you tell me about its history? Curator: Gestel was very active in the burgeoning Dutch modern art scene during the early twentieth century. Like many artists of his era, he used portraiture as a means to explore emerging modern identities—a departure from the tradition of painting portraits as records of social standing or status. You really sense that in the gaze of each character, an element of inward contemplation is apparent. Editor: It’s almost theatrical, isn't it? Like characters caught mid-scene, revealing inner turmoil. I imagine this could be on the wall of someone's mind. How radical to push the human figure into such expressive extremes! Curator: Exactly! And it's essential to see works like "Three Heads" as a critical reflection of a rapidly changing society—confronted with war, industrialization, and seismic social shifts—in a period defined by political turbulence and experimentation in art and life. Editor: Thinking about the title "Three Heads" is almost deceptively simple given the turmoil that simmers off the surface of the piece. But I think there's also a bit of sly playfulness here, the work almost winking at you behind that intense glare. I suppose what stands out for me is the intense feeling it has of inner worlds laid bare for our scrutiny. Curator: A fantastic observation. Viewing the art helps me grasp how the world of art history helps illuminate and explain art's place in cultural conversation. Thank you. Editor: And, for me, to consider Gestel's artwork reminds me that even a simple medium like pencil can unlock a whirlwind of complex feeling.