Zonder titel Schets van een reikende hand 1935 - 1936

This untitled sketch of a reaching hand was made by Leo Gestel using pen and ink. I love the directness of the marks here – it's all about the process of looking and responding. Gestel seems to be thinking through his pen, letting the ink flow and pool where it may. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the paper, mapping out the contours and gestures with a kind of restless energy. Notice how the lines vary in thickness and intensity. Some are bold and confident, defining the edges of the hand, while others are light and tentative, suggesting the subtle gradations of light and shadow. And that little curlicue floating off to the side – is it a stray mark, a doodle, or a clue to the artist's state of mind? Gestel was working around the same time as Matisse, and you can see a similar interest in the expressive potential of line. Both artists remind us that drawing is not just about representation, but about exploring the world through touch and gesture.