Kop van een meisje met krullend haar 1905 - 1906

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet created this pencil drawing, "Head of a Girl with Curly Hair," likely sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The sketch offers us a glimpse into the artist's process. It invites us to consider the role of the artist as observer and interpreter of the world. Who was this girl? Was she a family member, a neighbor, or a model in a formal studio setting? The looseness of the sketch suggests an informal setting, perhaps a fleeting moment captured on paper. Cachet was Dutch. During this period in the Netherlands, there was a growing interest in realism and capturing everyday life. Looking at the institutional history of art education at the time could reveal more about the context in which the artwork was made, such as academic traditions of sketching. By researching the artist's life, the social context of the time, and the institutional forces shaping artistic production, we can gain a richer understanding of this work and the artist's world.