Aardappelrooiers op het land 1926

Leo Gestel created this drawing titled 'Potato Harvesters in the Field' with black chalk on paper. In the early twentieth century, there was a growing interest among artists in depicting the lives of working-class people. Gestel’s choice of subject matter reflects the increasing awareness of social issues and the changing role of art in society. The way the figures are rendered is also relevant. The figures are not idealized or romanticized, but rather depicted in a straightforward, almost documentary style. It suggests a desire to portray the reality of agricultural labor without sentimentality. Gestel and other artists of his generation were part of a broader cultural movement that questioned traditional artistic values and sought to engage with contemporary social and political issues. Studying manifestos, exhibition reviews, and the writings of contemporary critics can help understand the context in which this drawing was made.