Gewelf c. 1905

Curator: This drawing, titled "Gewelf," comes to us from Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, circa 1905, here at the Rijksmuseum. It appears to be a study using pencil. Editor: Mmm, I find it quite calming. A bit like looking at architectural plans that have been distilled down to their simplest, most essential lines. The softness of the pencil contributes, almost like a whispered promise of a grand design. Curator: It’s compelling, isn’t it? You get that whisper of a grand design because, "Gewelf" translates to "Vault". We are glimpsing Cachet's mind at work, his interest in structures – specifically, arched vaults – revealing something of the art nouveau style then gaining momentum. These weren’t just structural components; they were symbols of aspiration. Editor: Aspiration! I see that. It's interesting how geometric forms, in this instance, stir feelings. Those lines reach upward and outward – there's expansion, an uplifting motion. Also, what are your thoughts about its incompleteness, the abstraction present here? Curator: The unfinished nature is part of its allure. Art Nouveau was often about suggesting, alluding, leaving space for the viewer's imagination to complete the picture. The very visible pencil lines contribute, underscoring the sense of something in formation, a potential energy that carries immense creative potential. We sense his movement, his calculations, his intent right here in these few strokes. Editor: Exactly, and the contrast of such a defined rectangular structure set next to the free flow of organic curvilinear forms is great, kind of setting limits to freedom of interpretation but then suggesting where the viewers mind can flow more freely. What I perceive as an architectectural structure now morphs more towards some creature or construction inspired by marine life, some peculiar jelly fish skeleton, suspended between geometric borders... Curator: Yes! That's it – that intersection, it really embodies a transitional spirit: the rigidity of the industrial age and the burgeoning freedom of expression which seems at the heart of Cachet's intentions. The drawing makes it feel deeply personal. Thank you for helping unlock more connections and visual memory about Cachet's approach. Editor: My pleasure. Always a journey through time when diving in these hidden graphical structures...