Olifant op boek (schets) before 1936

Leo Gestel made this sketch of an elephant on a book with pen and ink. Imagine him, maybe in a small studio, his brow furrowed in concentration as he coaxes this image into being. There's such a scratchy, energetic vibe to this drawing. It feels so immediate, like Gestel was wrestling with the image, trying to pin down the essence of this elephant perched precariously on a book. What’s that about? Is it a commentary on knowledge, or wisdom, or some kind of whimsical juxtaposition? I think it’s the latter! I love how the texture of the elephant's skin is evoked with these frantic, almost scribbled lines. It reminds me a bit of Van Gogh, the way he used marks to build form and feeling. Gestel is part of a long lineage of artists, each building on the work of those who came before, engaging in this silent, visual conversation across time. Each mark has a feeling.