Grazende koe 1891 - 1941

Leo Gestel’s ‘Grazende koe’ is a small sketch on paper, a study of a grazing cow. The process is laid bare, visible in every confident line. Gestel's sketch is all about the physicality of mark-making. The charcoal is thick in places, almost sculptural, giving weight to the animal's form, while elsewhere, it's barely there, a ghost of a line suggesting volume and space. Look at the cow's underbelly – it’s rendered with a few quick strokes, yet you feel its weight, its softness. Gestel isn't trying to trick you into seeing a cow, he’s showing you how he sees a cow. It reminds me of Picasso’s animal sketches, that same sense of distilled essence. It’s not about perfection, it’s about getting something down, making a record of a thought, a feeling, a fleeting moment. It’s a reminder that art is a conversation, an exploration, not a declaration.