Bloemen 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this line drawing, Bloemen, on paper with pen and ink. It reminds me of when I start a painting, just laying down that initial armature that I can then play and push against. Here, Gestel uses line to define the shapes of his flowers, but it’s more than just that, right? Look at the way each petal is defined, but also how the ink pools slightly in certain spots. This gives a weight, a gravity, to each form. It almost feels like each flower is slightly different, they have individual personalities. It’s like Gestel is saying, "I'm not just drawing flowers; I'm capturing their essence." It puts me in mind of artists like Marsden Hartley, who was similarly interested in imbuing still life with a deep symbolic and emotional charge. Art isn’t about answers, but about asking questions, about seeing the world anew each time.