After his stay in Mallorca in 1914, Gestel went to Madrid were he worked for some time in the studio of the painters Pollener and Piet van der Hem. His palette became much brighter and cubist principals were subordinated by the decorative value of the painting. The lively city was for Gestel "one big, cheerful place were lots of models were availabel". In this period Gestel moved away from his more lyrical abstract style. Gestel and Van der Hem worked together for some time. They were much inspired by the colourful Spanish costumes and the lively atmosphere of the city, and the largest proportion of their output were portraits after models.
The present lot is a finished study for the larger picture Gitana which was sold on 12 December 1990 at Christie's Amsterdam, lot 298

See illustration