Naakte vrouw en twee paarden in zee 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel made this drawing of a nude woman and two horses in the sea with pen and black ink. Gestel approaches the subject with gestural marks, capturing the scene’s energy, and the fluid, dynamic quality of water, flesh and muscle. The horses and the nude, almost merge, echoing each others forms. I am drawn to the area of shading across the woman’s torso, achieved with a single, solid stroke. This bold mark creates a sense of depth, but it also flattens the form, abstracting the figure. The artist seems to revel in the interplay between representation and abstraction, not unlike the way Picasso would begin to play with form. The monochrome palette emphasizes line and shape. The use of bold strokes creates a sense of movement, as if the figures are constantly shifting and changing. This drawing feels very contemporary for it’s time, I’m reminded of Elizabeth Peyton’s fluid lines and raw emotionality.