Naakte vrouw met haar handen in het haar 1891 - 1941

Editor: Here we have Leo Gestel's "Naakte vrouw met haar handen in het haar," a charcoal drawing on paper from between 1891 and 1941. I'm struck by the rawness of the figure, and how vulnerable she seems. What are your initial thoughts on this expressive piece? Curator: Oh, it speaks volumes, doesn't it? Gestel has captured a moment of intense emotion, almost as if we've walked in on a private struggle. The way he's used charcoal, those heavy, swirling lines, it's all about conveying inner turmoil. You almost feel you can hear the silent scream. Is it sorrow, frustration, or simply overwhelm? Editor: I was thinking maybe desperation? Or profound sadness? The sketch-like quality also gives it a feeling of immediacy. Curator: Immediacy, yes! It’s as if he’s ripped a feeling straight from the soul and slapped it onto paper. Gestel, during his Expressionist period, was wrestling with the anxieties of modern life, wasn't he? Do you see any signs of this reflected here? Editor: Definitely. I think you can sense the emotional tension through the violent strokes, how the woman’s form is almost dissolving into the darkness. I think that she is hiding behind her hands, trying to disassociate. Curator: It is rather like looking at our fragmented selves when caught in moments of overwhelming emotional pain. Do you find that Gestel leaves any room for the viewer’s imagination here? I feel almost… protective of her vulnerability. Editor: Absolutely, the lack of detail allows you to project your own feelings onto her. I was so focused on the form at first that I missed how resonant it feels on a more personal level. Curator: Exactly! And that, my friend, is the power of expressionism. Gestel gives us the echo and it’s up to us to fill the room with our own experience. That´s beautiful, thanks for noticing that. Editor: Thanks, I hadn't considered it that way before!