Ornament met luipaarden 1874 - 1945

This sketch of leopards by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet looks like it was quickly captured with graphite on graph paper. It feels like a study for a larger project, maybe some kind of textile design, judging from the title "Ornament." I can imagine Lion Cachet in his studio, playing with ideas, letting his pencil roam across the page, figuring out the rhythm of the pattern. The leopards are stylized, almost cartoonish, but full of energy. I bet he was looking at historical examples of animal motifs, maybe from ancient Egypt or Persia, reinterpreting them with a modern sensibility. I can see him thinking about how the design would repeat, how the shapes would interlock. This drawing reminds me that art is not just about the final product, but about the process of exploration and discovery. Each mark is a record of the artist's thought process, and we get to witness it, too. And that, my friends, is something to celebrate.