Naakte vrouw en twee paarden in zee 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this drawing, "Naakte vrouw en twee paarden in zee", with pen and India ink. Just look at the bold brushstrokes that bring this scene to life. I wonder what it was like for Gestel, standing there with his pen, letting the ink flow and guiding it across the paper. It’s like he was trying to capture a fleeting thought or a dream. There's this nude woman and these two horses, all tangled up in the sea. It's such an odd combination. I imagine he wasn’t interested in a literal depiction of a woman and horses bathing but more in the shapes and forms they create together, right? See the dark, confident lines—they almost feel Fauvist to me. This reminds me of the work of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Gestel and those painters are all connected by this desire to push the boundaries of what painting can do. They are constantly talking to each other and the work that came before them. This piece just shows that painting is about being present, being open, and letting the unexpected happen.