Drie vrouwenhoofden 1874 - 1945

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet created 'Three Women's Heads' with pencil on paper; you can see it in the Rijksmuseum. The artist lightly sketched three faces, but they're not quite there, you know? I feel for him, I do! They're so faint they could almost be ghosts. Imagine Lion Cachet with his pencil, trying to find the form, erasing, adjusting, searching for the right expression. There's a tentative quality to the lines; nothing is fixed or certain. It reminds me of a passage by Philip Guston, who said that he could never step back and admire his work because he was always trying to find the thing he was looking for, and when he did finally find it he was overcome by the desire to paint it again. The way these faces emerge from the background is just so beautiful. The softness of the pencil creates a dreamy atmosphere, inviting you to fill in the gaps. We are all constantly conversing with artists, and responding to what came before. And now, you, responding to Lion Cachet.