Steigerend paard 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel rendered "Steigerend paard" in charcoal, a medium that perfectly captures the raw energy of his subject. The composition is a flurry of lines, predominantly diagonal, which suggests the horse's dynamic movement as it rears up. Gestel's use of line is particularly striking. Rather than defining the horse with solid contours, he employs a network of gestural strokes. This technique blurs the boundary between the figure and the ground, creating a sense of spatial ambiguity. We might read this as a nod to the burgeoning abstraction of the time, where representation was becoming less about mimetic accuracy and more about capturing the essence of form and motion. The lack of color further emphasizes the structural elements of the drawing. The stark contrast between the dark charcoal and the light paper heightens the drama, underscoring the horse's power and the artist's expressive handling of the medium. This piece isn't just a depiction of a horse; it's an exploration of form, line, and the very act of drawing itself.