Blad met drie studies van handen 1925 - 1927

This sheet of studies of hands was made by Leo Gestel using what looks like charcoal or graphite. I love the immediate, searching quality of the marks! You know, when you’re drawing or painting, especially from life, you’re just trying to figure something out, over and over. Here, Gestel seems to be asking: what does a hand look like from different angles? How do you capture its weight and form with just a few lines and some shading? Gestel’s hands are so expressive. The marks almost feel like a sculptor building up clay, finding the form through touch. It’s a reminder that painting and drawing are not just about what we see, but how we feel and understand the world through our bodies. These hands remind me of the drawings of Rodin or even some studies by Renaissance artists. It's all one big conversation across time, isn’t it?