Ornamenten met vogels en een leeuw c. 1925

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this drawing of ornaments, birds, and a lion with pencil on paper. Look at these lines! They dance and suggest and never quite confirm the existence of the animals they depict. I can see Cachet playing, here, feeling out how the line can capture the essence of a thing. He allows the graphic qualities of the drawing to come to the fore; each tentative stroke seems like a question, not a statement. It makes me think about the sheer number of decisions that go into making art. The linear quality and delicate graphite marks create a sense of lightness and movement. You can almost feel Cachet searching for the right form, allowing the image to emerge organically from the surface. He's in conversation with something here. The paper supports him as he searches for the essence of birds and lions, and how to fit them in little square boxes.