Zonder titel (paard) 1925 - 1940

Editor: Here we have "Zonder titel (paard)," or "Untitled (horse)" by Leo Gestel, an ink drawing from between 1925 and 1940. It has a sort of monumental quality despite clearly being on paper. What do you make of it? Curator: The horse, of course, has carried tremendous symbolic weight across cultures for millennia. Power, freedom, nobility – those are some of the obvious associations. But look closer: how has Gestel chosen to portray this animal? Its posture, the thick, almost frantic, strokes of ink... does it still suggest freedom to you? Or something else? Editor: I see what you mean. The way the head is thrown back, it could also suggest resistance. It's definitely not just a serene, classical horse. There's an element of struggle there. Curator: Precisely! The use of black and white emphasizes the drama, doesn't it? Black for shadow and the unknown, white for purity or perhaps surrender, and a constant interplay between the two. In a way, Gestel is presenting us with a duality. Perhaps one reflecting a larger, societal anxiety, even? Think of the interwar period when this was made. Editor: So you're saying the drawing is more than just a representation of a horse; it's carrying deeper cultural meanings, maybe related to the uncertainties of the time? Curator: Visual symbols are rarely straightforward, especially from such a period of dramatic shifts. We project ourselves, our fears, our hopes, onto them. Do you think an audience at the time might have viewed this horse differently from how we do today? Editor: That's really fascinating. I’m seeing so many potential interpretations that I missed at first glance. Thanks for shedding some light on this! Curator: My pleasure. Art's power resides precisely in its ability to resonate differently across time, carrying echoes of its origins and reflecting the evolving perspectives of its viewers.