Grazende koe en koeienkop

Leo Gestel made this drawing of a grazing cow, and a cow's head, at an unknown date, probably with charcoal on paper. It's all about line, isn't it? Not just describing a cow, but about the very act of describing. There’s a real sense of process here, the marks are so immediate and the texture is really alive, like an animated diagram of a cow. Look at the simple lines and smudges making up the body of the cow, how they are not trying to trick you into thinking this is a real cow, but instead inviting you to see the world in a new way, as a play of charcoal and light. The cow's head floating in the top left corner is a funny addition, and a little bit ghostly. Gestel’s economy of line reminds me of Matisse, the way he could capture the essence of form with a few strokes. This drawing invites us to appreciate the beauty and complexity of simple forms and the magic of art as an ongoing conversation.