Koe en twee paarden 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this sketch of a cow and two horses at an unknown date with graphite and black chalk. I really like the way he’s made some quick decisions about form. Looking at these animals, I can almost see Gestel making the drawing. The marks are searching and confident at the same time. You can see the animal emerging with each line. They have this real volume and depth. I wonder, did he make preparatory sketches before embarking on this work? How long did it take him to make? Gestel was working at the same time as lots of expressionist painters. But this work feels different. I wonder what the connection is, if any? It must be so interesting for artists to see the work of other artists in real life. Artists are always in dialogue, responding to one another's works. And isn’t that amazing?