Twee bloemen 1902

Leo Gestel made this mysterious drawing of two flowers, likely in the early 20th century. I imagine he worked on paper, with washes of diluted ink or watercolor, in a limited palette of blacks, grays, and creams. It's a moody piece. The flowers are pale and luminous against a dark, almost gothic, backdrop. Gestel seems to be exploring the edge between representation and abstraction. I feel a sympathy with the artist, picturing him working and reworking the image, allowing the forms to emerge from a haze of washes. There’s a looseness that suggests a kind of freedom in the making. The way Gestel uses the wet-on-wet technique, with fluid washes of ink, reminds me of other artists exploring similar territory, like Georgia O'Keeffe, but with a darker, more melancholic feel. It's like the flowers are rising out of a dream, ephemeral and haunting. Painting is such an act of conversation, artists in dialogue across time, each adding their own voice.