Ontwerpen voor elektrische hanglampen c. 1905

This is 'Ontwerpen voor elektrische hanglampen' by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. It's a sketch, really just lines on paper, but full of ideas, a testament to the artmaking process itself. There’s something beautiful in the simplicity of these lines, the way Cachet captures form with such economy. The paper's texture, visible beneath the graphite, adds another layer of depth. I keep thinking about the way the lines seem to float, as though the lamps exist in a space of pure potential. Look at the lines between the lamps; the way that Cachet uses one line to imply different angles. It feels really intuitive, almost like doodling, but with an underlying structure. These sketches remind me a little of Jugendstil artist Peter Behrens. Like Behrens, Cachet seems interested in the intersection of art and industry. But whereas Behrens embraces a kind of machine aesthetic, Cachet retains a more whimsical, handmade quality. Ultimately, art is an open conversation, full of possibilities.