Werkers op het land met korenschoven 1925 - 1927

This pencil drawing, ‘Workers in the Field with Sheaves of Wheat’, was made by Leo Gestel, though the date is unknown. I love the stark simplicity of it. The grayness gives it a moody, almost dreamlike quality. Gestel’s marks are so direct and economical, aren’t they? Look at how he uses simple lines to create form and depth. The texture of the pencil on paper is really present; you can almost feel the grain of the paper. What I notice is the large stack of wheat in the center, how it dominates the scene, almost becoming a mountain or monument. It’s shaded so darkly that it feels heavy, solid. Gestel reminds me a bit of Paula Modersohn-Becker, in his earnest portrayal of rural life. Both artists share a similar commitment to portraying the everyday with a kind of raw honesty. Art, like life, is just an ongoing conversation.