Ex libris voor J. Slagter (ontwerp) c. 1935 - 1940

This small pencil drawing, conceived by Leo Gestel, likely emerged through observation and a playful process of trial and error. I imagine Gestel, pencil in hand, thinking about this bookplate design. It’s got these two faces, staring in opposite directions, divided right down the middle, like a before and after. The faces, or rather, the face, repeated, seems like a symbol of duality, or maybe reflection – a mirror image of J. Slagter, the book's owner. What was Gestel trying to say here? I feel like I’m in Gestel’s studio, looking over his shoulder. His lines are tentative, searching, and then confident, knowing exactly where to land. I like how Gestel hints at a kind of cubist fragmentation, reducing forms to their essential lines. It reminds me a bit of Picasso, playing with perspective and form. I also see echoes of other artists grappling with similar ideas. We’re all just riffing off each other, you know, remixing and reinterpreting the world around us. That’s what makes art so fun!