Portret van Leo Gestel c. 1920 - 1941

This photograph, *Portret van Leo Gestel,* from an anonymous artist, is a small monochrome image that feels like a snapshot into a quiet, personal moment. The way the light and shadow play across his face gives a sense of depth and texture, but it's the soft focus that makes it feel intimate, like a memory. I’m drawn to how the background is filled with books, row upon row. You can almost feel the weight of all that knowledge and creativity pressing in around him. The blurred edges and the way the light catches the spines, it’s like the photographer is trying to capture not just his likeness, but the essence of his mind. It reminds me of some of the early modernist portraits, like those by Gertrude Käsebier, where the subject is captured in a domestic setting, surrounded by the objects of their life. There’s a sense of quiet contemplation here. It’s a reminder that art isn’t just about making something, it’s about seeing and feeling the world around us. It suggests the ongoing conversation that exists between artists across time.