Circuspaarden en figuren 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this sketch called 'Circus Horses and Figures' with chalk on paper. The marks are so light, quick, and free. It's like seeing the artist think. The charcoal is kind of dry, not oily, which gives the drawing this immediate quality, like he just grabbed whatever was at hand and started moving. Look at how he's captured the energy of the circus. Gestel’s chalk glides across the page, capturing the horses in a flurry of movement. Each line feels both tentative and sure, as though he’s mapping the space and capturing the essence of the scene in one go. The legs of the horses seem about to leap off the page. The human figures around them are mere suggestions. Gestel’s rough strokes remind me of Picasso’s early sketches – they both had this way of suggesting form and volume with minimal lines. But while Picasso's figures are precise and considered, Gestel's are more intuitive, like an impression of a memory. Ultimately, art is about embracing this kind of ambiguity. It's about possibilities, not answers.