Twee paarden 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this drawing, "Twee paarden," with graphite, and it's all about process. You can see the artist working things out, lines are a little tentative, but somehow confident too. The texture of the paper is smooth, almost cool. I like the tonal range Gestel gets using graphite, creating a subtle modelling, particularly the soft shadows under the bellies of the horses. Look at the way he suggests the musculature of the horses without getting bogged down in detail, that's so good. The confident loops of the manes are lovely. See how the lines around the back of the lead horse are more heavily drawn, almost as if he's making the horse present, a little bolder, a little more there. This reminds me a little of Franz Marc's animal drawings, but Gestel’s looser touch gives it a unique charm. Ultimately, it remains open to interpretation, a beautiful sketch of two horses sharing the page.