Clown en ruiter te paard 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel drew this Clown and Rider on Horseback with pencil and crayon, but when? I imagine him in a circus tent, the smell of animals and sawdust in the air. I love the way the clown's body is a pale blue, like a faded memory. His hands, caught mid-gesture, suggest he's juggling those three simple circles above his head. It’s beautiful, the confidence of an artist not filling everything in. The line is so casual. And who is the rider behind him? Is it an echo of a past performance, or a dream of future glory? Gestel lets these images overlap, creating a layered effect that reminds me of the way we layer our own memories. Gestel’s drawing feels like a little poem, full of melancholy and gentle humor. It reminds me of other painters like Picasso who were interested in the circus. They’re all in conversation, dreaming up new ways of seeing the world.