Leo Gestel - Live the moment - Sold

The cover of the sheet music for Mensch, dare to live (Memento Vivere) written by Dirk Witte in 1917. Leo Gestel probably painted this at a later date given the style of drawing, probably around 1923. Also the fact that it is dedicated to Jean-Louis Pisuisse, "who performed this song in an unforgettable way" suggests a later date than 1917. Pisuisse died in 1927. At the bottom left we find the initials of the draftsman LG, or Leo Gestel (1881-1941). The painter and book cover designer mainly used the expressionist style in the 1930s. Gestel's friends called Leendert Leonardo, after Leonardo da Vinci, abbreviated Leo. Gestel continued to use this name throughout his life.
Dirk Witte (1885-1932) was 25 years old - and already very famous in Zaandam and the surrounding area - when he wrote the song about the bus trial (the first scheduled bus service would take at least a decade). In 1917 he wrote his anthem 'Mensch, dare to live'. He gained national fame through the performance of comedian Jean-Louis Pisuisse. Later, Willy Alberti, Ramses Shaffy, Huub van der Lubbe and Wende Snijders sang it, among others. It is a rebellious text by an individual against the mores of society, in which everyone can recognize themselves: “You only live for a very short time, only once, and if you want to be different later, you won't be able to anymore! ... what has Het Decency prescribed! Man, dare to live!”