Leo Gestel

@ Singer Laren

Leo Gestel is considered one of the true modernists in early twentieth century Dutch art. Together with Jan Sluijters and Piet Mondriaan, he was at the forefront of the so called Amsterdam Luminism of around 1910, inspired by the new approaches to art that sprung up in Paris. Several trips to the capital of modern art with his contemporary Jan Sluijters gave him first-hand experience of neo-impressionism and the expressionism of the Fauves. The talented draughtsman that he was, his name being Leendert, his friends called him Leonardo, referring to the Italian master, a name he adopted from then on by signing Leo Gestel  he incorporated different influences with great ease into his continually evolving style. Through the international exhibition in 1911 
of the “Moderne Kunstkring,” of which Gestel had become a member, 
he came in contact with the work of cubists like Picasso, Braque, and 
Le Fauconnier. Le Fauconnier, who stayed and worked regularly in Holland, became an especially important inspiration for Leo Gestel, whose work now became infused with the language of cubism. 
LINK singerlaren (in Dutch)