Rug van Joanna Lion Cachet-Cordes c. 1935 - 1940

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this drawing of Joanna Lion Cachet-Cordes with pencil on paper. The artist uses line here in such a simple way to describe a whole person. But look closer, and you can see how the lines loop and cross over, almost like the artist is thinking through the form, working it out as he goes. It's like watching a thought take shape. The texture of the paper is plain, but the lines themselves have a kind of energy, a nervous quality that I find really appealing. I am drawn to the way the lines around the head are scribbled, almost obscuring the features, while the lines that describe the dog's head are confident and clear. It feels like the artist is more familiar with the animal, more comfortable in its presence, the dog’s eye is so clearly present, almost like an embrace. Drawings like this remind me that art is as much about feeling and intuition as it is about technique. In some ways this reminds me of Matisse's line drawings, both artists share a love of simple forms and a willingness to leave things unresolved, embracing the messy, uncertain nature of life itself.