Zelfportret bij het raam 1927

Leo Gestel made this self-portrait near a window with pencil on paper. It's an intimate look into the artist's world, a window into his mind. The linear marks feel so assured, each one placed with intention. I imagine Gestel standing before the paper, pencil in hand, moving back and forth, adjusting the composition. What must it have been like to create this? The flowers take center stage, rendered with sharp, angular petals that seem to radiate energy. I bet that he loved the Modernists, like Cezanne. His portrait is there too, in the corner, and in the background is a boater, cows and a house. Gestel isn’t just showing us what he sees, but how he sees, how he feels, how he thinks about the world. Painting is like a conversation that unfolds over time, with the artist responding to the canvas and the canvas responding back. Each gesture builds upon the last, creating a dialogue of form and feeling that invites us to join in. It’s all about opening up space for new ideas, new ways of seeing, and connecting with each other through the shared language of art.