Raster c. 1905 - 1906

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this sketch, called Raster, with graphite on paper. Imagine him with a sketchbook in his lap, lightly stroking the page. I love the feeling of provisionality here, like he's thinking aloud. The lines aren't assertive, but exploratory. He's mapping something out, making a diagram. I feel like I could reach out and smudge the marks with my finger. The lines remind me of a Mondrian painting – austere and architectural. But unlike Mondrian's rigid geometry, Cachet's lines waver. It’s like he’s searching for the right angle. In his paintings and graphic design work, Cachet often used geometric shapes and patterns. This drawing might be a preliminary study for one of those works. Or it might just be a doodle. Either way, it captures the artist's hand in a way that a finished painting never could. It gives you an insight into his thoughts and process.