Lopende vrouw met een hoed 1874 - 1945

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this drawing of a running woman with a hat, with what looks like charcoal on paper. You know, sometimes the best things are made so quickly, in a rush, that their sense of movement is preserved. I can imagine Lion Cachet, maybe standing on a street corner, whipping out his sketchbook and quickly capturing this woman in motion. I wonder if she knew she was being drawn? There's a real sense of speed here, which is hard to achieve. It’s all smudgy and the figure is roughly rendered, but that only adds to the feeling of a fleeting moment captured in time. Look at the way he uses shading to create depth. Those dark lines aren't just outlines, they're adding weight and volume to the figure. Even the way the hat is sketched gives the impression of movement, as though the wind is catching it. It reminds me a little of some of Daumier's quick sketches of Parisian life, both artists sharing that ability to see the beauty and drama in the everyday. It’s like they’re saying, “Hey, look at this! Isn’t it amazing?” And you know what? It is.