Ornament met een bladmotief 1874 - 1945

This graphite drawing of a leaf motif was made by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, and it lives at the Rijksmuseum. You know, the grid beneath the ornament gives me a sense of where to start, but the lines suggest freedom and movement that is unconstrained by the graph paper. I like how the artist allows the hand to move across the page, capturing the essence of a leaf motif without getting bogged down in details. The texture of the paper itself is visible, as is the line of the graphite. Look at how the simple looping lines create a visual rhythm, a series of echoing forms, and allow us to perceive the artist's process. The way the image loops and folds kind of reminds me of Matisse’s cut outs. It is as though Lion Cachet is feeling his way through the form, trying it out, seeing what it might become. I find that openness really exciting.