Drie naakte staande vrouwen

Leo Gestel made this drawing of three standing nudes with ink on paper, but exactly when is something of a mystery. Gestel’s loose application of ink in this work feels immediate and exploratory, like he’s thinking through seeing. The grid is visible, which tells us something about his process; it suggests a mechanical approach, perhaps scaling up from a smaller sketch, or working to a set of proportions. The contrast between the grid and the fluidity of the drawing is interesting, like a tension between freedom and control. Look at the confident line that describes the hip of the figure on the left; it's economical, almost cartoonish, yet somehow also sensual and full of life. The composition brings Picasso to mind, particularly the way he distorted and fragmented figures. But where Picasso is often aggressive and angular, Gestel is softer, more lyrical. Ultimately, art's a conversation, and Gestel seems to be in dialogue with modernism while speaking in his own unique voice.