Paarden in de natuur 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this sketch of horses, with charcoal and crayon, maybe trying to conjure up the feeling of being close to the animals. The horses emerge from these bold, searching marks. I can imagine Gestel circling them, trying to pin down the horses’ musculature and energy. It’s like he's wrestling with the image, not quite able to hold onto it. See that dark scribble of charcoal that makes up the horse’s mane? It’s raw, like a flash of inspiration. Gestel was a painter with a wild, experimental spirit. He played with cubism and expressionism. You see how the lines are broken and angular, and how the forms are simplified, and how the color, barely there, hints at their living flesh? He’s looking to capture the essence of movement and vitality. You can see him conversing with other artists like Franz Marc or even Picasso, all trying to capture something essential about modern life. It’s like a constant, ongoing exchange.