Paarden 1891 - 1941

Curator: Welcome to the Rijksmuseum. We’re looking at “Paarden,” a pencil drawing on paper by Leo Gestel, likely created between 1891 and 1941. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: It feels light, almost ephemeral. The gray paper and faint pencil lines give it a ghostly, unfinished quality. I'm struck by the contrast between the stillness of some of the horses and the implied movement of others. Curator: Precisely. Note the composition: groupings of horses in various states—some reclining, others standing, and a few being ridden. The sketch showcases Gestel's adept handling of line and form; observe how minimal strokes define musculature and posture. The arrangement seems almost academic, a study of the animal's form. Editor: It's interesting to see these horses not as symbols of power or prestige, but rather rendered in these ordinary postures, almost like documentary photographs. There is almost a lack of romanticism to it that I find quite striking, considering the period it might be from. Who do we think the artist intended this to be seen? What would an image like this say? Curator: I imagine he was interested in their physical presence, how light plays across their forms. The lack of background focuses our attention on the horses themselves, reducing narrative elements in favour of a formal examination of the animal. The sketch possesses a kind of understated elegance and confidence because Gestel can allow what matters in each horse figure to come to the fore without overworking any detail. Editor: And perhaps this reveals a particular relationship between humans and nature. Even with riders, the horses are portrayed as these individual entities, existing almost separately from the human figures perched upon them. There's an emphasis on autonomy here, wouldn’t you say? And there is no particular place assigned, giving a sense that there are many scenes in one drawing. Curator: Possibly. I perceive this more as Gestel exercising formal techniques: varying line weight, understanding spatial relationships... Perhaps a practice piece rather than a fully realised composition that makes some profound narrative claim. I think it is simply a very lovely set of drawings done very well and worthy of our attention. Editor: Indeed, there's a wonderful harmony to these understated gestures and the unmonumental nature of the artwork which make this more precious than at first glance. Thank you for this lovely time. Curator: And thank you for joining us in exploring this understated and captivating sketch.