Staand meisje met hoed 1874 - 1945

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this drawing of a standing girl with a hat; it's not dated, but you can see it now at the Rijksmuseum. The drawing is all in pencil, and what I like is how he commits to a very simple line to describe the girl, and leaves the underdrawing visible. The hat has a kind of rhythmic hatching that feels very purposeful, like the artist really wanted to create the roundness of the hat. The girl's stare is also direct, and the features on her face are rendered with a similar simplicity, which gives her an individuality. There's a real tenderness here. It reminds me of drawings by Paula Modersohn-Becker - not in terms of style, but in the way both artists bring a sense of care to seemingly simple subjects, and use the act of drawing as a form of noticing. It's not about perfection, it’s about embracing the messy and human quality of the artistic process.