Decoratief ontwerp 1874 - 1945

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this decorative design with pencil, pen and watercolour. I imagine him, head bowed, intensely working to conjure this motif into being. The watercolour here is applied in soft, muted tones—blues and grays—that give the design a somewhat ephemeral quality. But it's the quality of line, isn't it, that really activates this thing? It’s almost as if the line, in all its expressive variation, is what gives structure to the piece. There's a lot of tentativeness: you can see where the artist is trying things out, correcting lines, and building up the forms bit by bit. See how the bold strokes of the pencil contrast with the delicacy of the watercolour washes? I think all artists, in different times and places, are in conversation, influencing and riffing off of each other. It’s a reminder that painting is not a solo act, but a communal one, built on a shared history and a collective vision.