Decoratief ontwerp 1874 - 1945

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this decorative design at an unknown date, likely with gouache on paper. It looks like the kind of painting you make when you're just trying stuff out, when you are in the middle of figuring out your process. The colors are pretty subdued: blacks, whites, a kind of pale green. There's a loose, rhythmic quality to the looping shapes around the border, the curves and curls feel free, like he's playing with pattern. But the dark silhouette in the middle throws everything off balance, doesn't it? It's so dense, so solid. It is hard to see. I like the way the edges of the black form are blurred, almost dissolving into the background. It reminds me a little of Odilon Redon, that sense of mystery and the unknown. But where Redon is all about dreams and symbolism, Cachet feels more grounded, more interested in the pure, visual dance of form and color. It's like he's saying, let's see what happens if we push things a little, break the rules, and embrace the unexpected.