Grazende paarden en koe 1891 - 1941

Curator: This work, "Grazende Paarden en Koe" or "Grazing Horses and Cow," is a pencil drawing made sometime between 1891 and 1941, attributed to the Dutch artist Leo Gestel, and currently residing at the Rijksmuseum. It looks like a flurry of movement frozen in graphite. Editor: My immediate sense is one of quiet observation, but also tremendous energy held in check. The minimal lines give it this feeling like Gestel captured just the *essence* of these animals in a fleeting moment. I wonder, is this an actual scene or just a composite sketch? Curator: Interesting question. While rooted in observable reality, there's definitely an interpretive quality here. The horse depicted grazing occupies the most complete space; you could infer Gestel sought to capture the true spirit of the animals in a harmony with the landscape, even if minimally stated. He almost reduces the cow to a pure abstract form. It reminds me a bit of cave paintings in its immediacy. Editor: Right, it’s as if Gestel aimed to create a shared memory that lives beyond culture – these horses appear at once universally animal, yet intimately alive with presence. The quick lines, reminiscent of Paleolithic art forms – the kind of symbols that condense life's great energy into form. Note also, for instance, that although minimal, they seem very real with their particular features and movement. Curator: Absolutely, those Paleolithic resonances feel spot-on, in the sense of the “idea” of horse. But let's not forget this also reads like a study—different attempts, or perhaps different attitudes to representing the very same subject matter. It really seems like the lines speak for him as a painter; he sought to do the very thing one would find difficult with oil paint - the lightness of pencil, freedom from mass. Editor: Well put! Perhaps he’s reminding us how we, too, graze and ponder in our thoughts. As with those prehistoric symbols, Gestel's scene of grazing animals might prompt reflections on connection to the natural world. A beautiful sketch to pause and ruminate upon.