Rijtjeshuis met een tuitgevel en torenspits c. 1905

This is Carel Adolph Lion Cachet's sketch of a terraced house with a gable and spire. Cachet, born in the Netherlands East Indies, came from a family deeply rooted in colonial administration. Though seemingly a simple architectural study, this work offers a glimpse into the artist's perspective on the rapidly changing urban landscape of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As cities expanded and modernized, the terraced house became a symbol of the burgeoning middle class. Cachet's choice to focus on this subject matter may reflect his own negotiation of identity and belonging within a society undergoing significant transformation. What does it mean to find beauty and interest in the mundane, to elevate the everyday through art? How does the architecture of our homes shape our sense of self and community? This sketch invites us to contemplate the intersection of personal experience and collective identity.