Studieblad met acht paarden 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this study sheet with eight horses using graphite on paper. Isn't it wonderful how a simple tool like graphite can capture so much energy? Gestel's lines are so alive. Look at the horse rearing up at the top—you can almost feel its muscles straining, its hooves pawing at the air. The drawing isn't about perfection; it's about the process of seeing and feeling. The lines are tentative, searching, like the artist is trying to understand the essence of the horse. The way Gestel uses line to suggest form and movement reminds me of Matisse. But where Matisse uses clean, elegant lines, Gestel's are more raw, more urgent. There's a sense of immediacy, as if he's trying to capture a fleeting moment. Ultimately, it feels like this work is less about horses, and more about the joy of drawing itself.