Zonder titel (schetsen van paard) 1925 - 1940

Leo Gestel made these horse sketches on paper, but when exactly, we don’t know. Look at the assuredness of that ink line on the left horse! The artist seems totally confident, knowing where each line will start and end. I bet they were equally frustrated when the marks didn’t quite come off as intended. This reminds me of when I’m painting and trying to nail a curve or angle – it's a physical process, full of trial and error. I wonder if Gestel was thinking about movement, maybe the power and grace of these animals? That dark smudge of ink at the top right is like a condensed version of the whole. The quick marks and blots of ink almost feel like they are in motion. Sketching is a timeless practice, connecting artists across generations through the shared experience of mark-making, from cave paintings to the digital doodles of today. Each drawing is a way of seeing, thinking, and feeling the world.