Zonder titel Drie paarden, staand naar links kijkend, vignet voor biografie van Gestel door Prof. W. van der Pluym 1935 - 1936

Leo Gestel drew these three horses looking left on paper sometime in the early 20th Century. It’s a vignette, a sketch almost, the kind of thing you do when you’re just trying to feel your way into a subject. The lines are simple, almost like a kid’s drawing, but there’s something really powerful about the way he captures the essence of these animals. Look at how he’s used the line to suggest their weight and muscle, the curves of their necks, the way their manes flow. It's like he's found the quickest route from his eye, to his hand, to the page. Gestel’s pared-down style reminds me of Matisse, that same confidence in the power of line to convey so much with so little. It’s not about perfection or detail, but about capturing a feeling, an energy. And in these three horses, I think he really nailed it. Art isn't about making things look real, but about making something new.