Zittend vrouwelijk naakt 1930 - 1931

Editor: This is Leo Gestel's "Zittend vrouwelijk naakt," or "Seated Female Nude," made between 1930 and 1931 using charcoal and pencil. The soft, almost dreamlike quality of the lines gives the subject a sense of ethereal beauty, don't you think? What first strikes you when you see it? Curator: Ah, yes, there's a tenderness there, isn’t there? Like a half-remembered song. To me, it feels deeply personal, almost as though Gestel were sketching a memory rather than a direct representation. Notice how the light seems to emanate from within the figure, blurring the distinction between the subject and the background. It’s less about depicting perfect form, and more about capturing a mood, a feeling. What do you make of her gaze? Does it meet yours or is she lost in thought? Editor: I think she's introspective; her gaze seems directed inwards, almost melancholy. Curator: Exactly! There's a vulnerability, but also strength. Gestel wasn't just capturing a likeness; he was delving into the sitter's inner world. He gives her a power, an enduring sense of self, that transcends the conventions of the nude. And look at the almost sculptural way he renders form with such simple materials. You wouldn’t think charcoal and pencil could be so expressive. Don't you agree? Editor: I do. It makes me consider how the essence of a subject can be captured with minimal strokes, like poetry. The "unfinished" feel invites imagination. Curator: Precisely. Perhaps, it's precisely that "unfinished" quality which makes it so captivating. It’s in those spaces, in the whispers of charcoal, that the art breathes, lives, and truly speaks. Gestel wasn't just creating art; he was capturing the whispers of the soul. What a privilege to listen in.