Gewelf en een kerkraam 1905 - 1906

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this drawing of a vault and a church window with pencil, most likely in a sketchbook. It's like a little stage set, right? The surface is just this pale off-white, and the marks are these simple, almost childlike lines that define the architectural forms. Look at the way Cachet uses quick, light strokes to suggest the curve of the vault. There's a real economy of means here – a kind of "less is more" vibe that is both descriptive and evocative. The shading feels almost tentative, like he's feeling his way around the forms. I'm reminded of the drawings of Cy Twombly, who used line in similarly playful ways. But where Twombly is all about gesture and emotion, Cachet seems more interested in the bones of things, the underlying structure that gives form its shape. In the end, it’s a bit of a mystery.