Three Horses c. 1925 - 1930

Leo Gestel made this brush and ink drawing, Three Horses, sometime in his lifetime. The whole thing feels like a sketch, a playful moment captured with quick, confident strokes. Gestel’s economy of line is pretty amazing here. See how he suggests form and movement with just a few flicks of the brush? The horses almost seem to float, suspended in the negative space, like thoughts taking shape on paper. Those bold, dark blobs around the horses aren't exactly background, they feel more like abstract shapes, or shadows, that are adding drama. This reminds me of Matisse’s line drawings, how he could distill an image down to its purest essence. It's like Gestel is saying, "Here’s what matters: the energy, the gesture, the feeling of these horses in motion." And maybe that’s enough. Art is about suggestion and embracing the incomplete, right?