Maandblad Verf en Kunst van P.A. Regnault (ontwerp) before 1941

Leo Gestel created this sketch in graphite for the journal ‘Paint and Art by P.A. Regnault’. Gestel, born into a Jewish family in the Netherlands, came of age during a period of great social and artistic transformation. The sketch seems to depict figures in the act of creation or performance. These figures, rendered with a lack of distinct features, reflect the complex relationship between the artist and their subject, where personal identity and expression are projected onto the artwork. The figures almost seem to be emerging from the architecture in the background. Gestel's own identity as an artist was deeply connected to the cultural and political contexts of his time. His work often explores themes of modern life, and the human condition. This sketch embodies Gestel's drive to capture the emotional and psychological depths of his subjects. It acknowledges the act of artistic creation as an intimate and transformative process.