Galopperende paarden 1891 - 1941

Curator: Welcome. Today, we are looking at "Galopperende Paarden", or "Galloping Horses", a pencil drawing by Leo Gestel, likely created sometime between 1891 and 1941. It's part of the Rijksmuseum collection. What strikes you first about it? Editor: It feels incredibly dynamic. The energy practically jumps off the page. It's almost like catching a glimpse of raw, untamed freedom. A feeling that contrasts sharply when knowing this comes from between wars, right? Curator: Precisely. Gestel's historical context certainly adds layers. Consider the role of horses, not just as symbols of power, but as active participants in the mechanized warfare then developing. One of the major global shifts that undoubtedly touched artistic perspectives on movement, industry and society itself. Editor: Absolutely, it raises questions. Are these horses escaping, perhaps representing the desperation for liberation from the chaos of war, and more? It prompts contemplation about the tension between human intervention and natural autonomy, especially during this chaotic period in history. Curator: Note too the way Gestel renders the motion. He does not strive for precise anatomical representation, instead focusing on conveying movement through repetition and a loose, almost frenzied, application of pencil strokes. Editor: Right. The overlapping figures create a sense of depth and speed. It suggests multiple moments captured at once, almost like early motion studies, the kind used for industrial engineering at the time, but this feels so fluid and spirited, unlike the industrial aesthetic. Curator: Yes, the drawing serves as an evocative study of dynamic motion within a very specific period. It makes one consider broader themes regarding modernization, the intersection of the industrial and organic, and evolving social understandings during those eras. Editor: And for me, it resonates with ongoing conversations about control and freedom, wildness and constraint. Curator: An important question Gestel quietly poses that continues to prompt deeper investigation of our own rapidly transforming world. Editor: Beautifully put, capturing perfectly this quiet energy between war, industrialization, and a deep desire for escape.