Vier paarden 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this drawing of four horses, with pencil on paper. It’s a study, a beginning, or an attempt to capture a feeling, rather than a likeness, of these animals. The paper is humble, lined and thin, but the marks are energetic, fast. There's a real sense of searching. The lines feel provisional, not precious, with some rubbed out and redrawn. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving quickly, trying to catch the essence of the horses' forms. Look at the way Gestel renders the legs with just a few strokes, or the manes with a quick scribble. There’s something so direct and unpretentious about this approach. It reminds me a little of Matisse’s line drawings, where the essence of a form is captured with incredible economy. It’s a reminder that art is often about the process of seeing, feeling, and trying to understand the world around us.