Meeuw 1934 - 1936

Curator: This is "Meeuw," or "Seagull" in English, a pen and ink drawing by Leo Gestel, likely made between 1934 and 1936. It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: The hatching is so dense it almost gives it the appearance of an etching. There's a brooding intensity to it, isn't there? The sea depicted feels almost turbulent, reflecting a powerful inner state. Curator: Interesting. I see a continuation of archetypal symbolism surrounding seabirds. They often signify freedom, resilience, and the soul's journey, dating back millennia. Gestel places it within a defined, almost theatrical space. Editor: That staging strikes me as intentional. It calls attention to the artist’s labor, the physical act of layering the ink. Is it landscape, is it decoration? It's presented like an artifact, deliberately framed and isolated for inspection. Curator: It does isolate the image, doesn't it? We can infer multiple readings by studying its context. Is this a memory of freedom for someone grounded? A sketch done while convalescing, longing for wild open spaces? Or does the placement itself, almost trapped between sea and mountains, tell of confinement? Editor: It makes me think about how the availability of cheap drawing tools democratized image-making in the early 20th century. Gestel's rapid lines imply it could be one in a series; each variation born from repetition. Curator: Mass production democratized artistic experience and dissemination—leading artists toward intimacy with natural forms like seabirds that symbolize an unbroken spirit. Editor: Absolutely, Gestel engages the visual traditions to remind the viewer of these qualities; freedom isn't free, resilience isn't effortless. I find this material process gives that reading more depth. Curator: Thinking about the layers of symbolic weight Gestel’s swift hand carries... the interplay between the iconographic seagull and the mark-making is certainly what makes it stand out. Editor: For me, the sheer density of the pen strokes reveals so much, transforming a simple drawing into a space full of contemplation.