Groep mensen 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel created this drawing, titled 'Groep mensen', with chalk. Gestel lived through both World Wars, witnessing the rise of industrialization. His evolving artistic style mirrored these shifts in the societal landscape. Here we see figures rendered with a sense of urgency, capturing the changing human condition amidst conflict and progress. The figures in ‘Groep mensen’ almost seem to meld together. What does it mean to see people represented not as individuals, but as a collective? Are they unified in a shared struggle, or have they lost their individuality to a common cause? Perhaps Gestel is questioning the role of the individual amidst the rising tide of mass movements. The artwork may invite us to reflect on the weight of collective identity, and the personal narratives that get subsumed within it.