Studieblad met achterover leunende man, drie paarden en een vrouw met paard 1891 - 1941

This sketch by Leo Gestel presents us with a constellation of figures, most notably the recurring motif of the horse. The horse, a symbol of vitality and instinct, appears intertwined with human figures. Consider the woman embracing the horse. This echoes the classical theme of the 'horse-tamer,' which we see throughout antiquity. But here, instead of mastery, there’s a sense of communion, almost an androgynous merging of human and animal. The horse's image appears in mythology, like the story of Pasiphae and the Minotaur, where unnatural desires lead to monstrous unions. The image engages our subconscious, stirring primal emotions and fears, and suggesting a deep connection between humanity and the animal world, one that has both inspired and haunted us across cultures and eons.