Paarden van verschillende kanten 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made these horses with what looks like charcoal. You can imagine him circling the paper, trying to capture the weight and form of these animals. What was he thinking as he observed these horses? Was he trying to find the essence of "horseness?" Look at how he uses line to create the mass, and the shading to evoke their physicality. The horses are facing different directions, their various angles making it hard to catch them. There's a lovely simplicity to the composition, in conversation with the work of artists like Franz Marc. It’s like Gestel is inviting us to consider painting as a way of understanding and appreciating the natural world. Artists borrow and build upon each other’s visions, each adding their unique perspective to the ongoing dialogue. Painting is a form of expression that embraces ambiguity and invites multiple interpretations. It is a conversation, constantly evolving.