Grazende koe 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel’s ‘Grazing Cow’ is a sketch made with black chalk on paper. The dominant feature here is line. See how Gestel seems to feel out the form of the cow, letting the marks of the chalk wander? I imagine him outside, squinting in the bright light, rapidly moving his hand, trying to catch the weight of the beast, its stillness and its movement all at once. There’s a real tenderness in the way he renders the underbelly and the head bent low to feed. There’s a shared language here with other modernists interested in the everyday like Van Gogh, and the graphic immediacy reminds me of Kollwitz's powerful drawings. It’s like he’s asking, “How can I record a feeling? What’s the essence of ‘cowness’?” Ultimately, artists are always in conversation, even across time. Each mark made is a response to another, creating a rich tapestry of gestures and ideas. In this exchange, ambiguity and uncertainty are embraced, leaving space for endless interpretations.