Paardenhoofden 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this study of horses with sketchy charcoal lines, and you know, it's all about the process. There is something so honest about a drawing like this. Gestel lets us see his working. The charcoal marks are raw and immediate. Look at the way he captures the shapes of the horses' heads with just a few strokes, it’s almost like he's thinking with his hand. The texture of the charcoal on paper gives it a kind of liveliness, like the horses could move at any moment. Each mark feels like a decision, a correction, a little experiment in seeing. This reminds me of other artists like Franz Marc who were also interested in the essence of animals. Art is just this ongoing conversation, right? No fixed meanings, just different ways of looking.