Paard 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this drawing, Paard, in an unknown year, with a pencil on paper. It's all about the line here, right? Gestel's captured a horse, but with a kind of shorthand—the bare minimum to convey the animal's essence. Look at how light the marks are, barely there on the page. It's like he's thinking out loud, letting us in on his process of figuring out the horse's form. The lines aren't precious; they overlap, correct, and suggest movement, like a flurry of possibilities. I'm especially drawn to the way he renders the horse's head. It’s almost sculptural in its simplicity. You see the curve of the neck, the suggestion of muscle, all with these economical lines. It reminds me a bit of Franz Marc's animals, but with a quieter, more intimate feel. It's a conversation between artists across time, each exploring the essence of form and movement. Gestel leaves room for interpretation, doesn't he? The drawing embraces ambiguity, inviting us to complete the image in our own minds.