Schets voor 'L'art Hollandais contemporain' van Paul Fierens (baadsters) 1932 - 1933

This is a sketch for ‘L’art Hollandais contemporain’ van Paul Fierens (baadsters), made by Leo Gestel. Look at the confidence of the ink line as it defines the figures, each stroke so sure, so swift. I can almost see Gestel making this, leaning over the paper, his hand moving with a kind of intuitive grace. What was he thinking about as he laid down these lines? Was he considering Picasso? Or maybe Cézanne? Probably both! You can see how the echoes of those artists might have resonated in his mind. The ink is so fluid, yet it creates forms that feel both solid and fleeting. The way the figures lean into each other, sharing a space, a moment, a thought. It’s like they are caught in a silent conversation, a secret exchange of glances and gestures. The sketch feels so contemporary, so now. It makes me think about the ongoing conversation that artists have with each other across time, borrowing, riffing, and building upon the ideas of those who came before. It's a reminder that art is never made in a vacuum, but always in dialogue with the past.