The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) houses a sketch titled A sketch depicting various zodiac figures, Inventory No. 3257/72, by Paul Joostens (1889-1960), a Belgian artist whose diverse career spanned multiple artistic movements and demonstrates the evolution of European modernism in the early 20th century.

Joostens's artistic development reflects a restless creativity and willingness to engage with different aesthetic approaches. Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, he began by working in a Cubist style before becoming associated with the provocative Dadaist movement during and after World War I. In this experimental phase, he created boldly innovative collages from found materials, aligning his practice with the irreverent and critical spirit of international Dada.

By the mid-1920s, Joostens underwent a significant stylistic shift, developing what he termed his "Gothic Joostens" period. This phase was heavily influenced by the Flemish Primitive painters like Hans Memling, whose meticulous attention to detail and spiritual intensity provided a counterpoint to modernist abstraction. During this period, Joostens created religious-themed works, particularly Madonna images, and joined De Pelgrim, a Catholic-inspired art collective that sought to reconnect modern art with religious traditions.

Despite these shifts in his primary focus, Joostens maintained a diverse artistic practice throughout his life. He continued to explore sensual themes in his drawings alongside his religious work, and in later years returned to experimental Dadaist assemblages. His fiery temperament and individualism eventually led to his isolation from mainstream artistic circles, a withdrawal reflected in the darker, anthracite-coloured drawings he produced during the 1950s.

This zodiac sketch represents one facet of Joostens's multifaceted artistic vision, demonstrating his engagement with symbolic and mythological themes that transcend specific stylistic periods.