Twee kinderen, van voren gezien 1874 - 1945

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this print of two children, seen from the front, using etching. It has a light, airy feel to it, almost like a memory fading at the edges. The texture is created by the etching process, which gives it a kind of gritty, almost unstable surface. Cachet's use of line is interesting – it's not really about outlining as much as it is about feeling around for the form. Look at the way the lines describe the child on the left's hair; it's scratchy and tentative, like he’s searching for the right way to capture their likeness. And then look at the hand of the child on the right, its all soft, smudgy lines. This piece reminds me a little of Paula Modersohn-Becker, in the way that the artist makes these children present and real. And like all good art, it’s less about answers and more about the ongoing conversation between artist, subject, and viewer.