Notities c. 1905 - 1910

Curator: Welcome! Today, we’re looking at "Notities," a sketchbook page by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, created somewhere between 1905 and 1910. It’s currently held here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first thought? Intimate. Like peeking over an artist's shoulder as they're mapping out their thoughts. It feels incredibly immediate, like the idea is still warm on the page. Curator: Absolutely. Sketchbooks provide unfiltered access to an artist's process. Cachet likely used this page to experiment with composition and ideas, likely as studies for larger works. Sketchbooks occupy an interesting place; their function moves around at times between idea generation to presentation to oneself or for pedagogical reasons. Editor: I love the energy in the figure sketched on the left. There’s such a sense of movement, despite just being a few lines. The juxtaposition of the dynamic sketch and the careful handwriting makes the image captivating. What's with the handwriting here, anyway? Curator: The handwritten notes surrounding the sketches offer clues into the artist’s intentions or associated ideas. Some researchers suggest they might be fragments of dialogue, ideas for other artwork or future directions in the artists production Editor: It reminds me of a writer's notebook. The seemingly random snippets that are, actually, fragments of larger intentions and ideas. The layout also reminds me of storyboards, perhaps early animation concepts. The mind bounces from visual to textual... which actually resonates strongly with me. Curator: You see a sense of flow... a dynamic creative interplay. What intrigues me is how these intimate notations would have been viewed in their contemporary art market. Today it would hold a great deal of merit and marketability; but were they ever intended for anyone but Cachet? Editor: A bit like a secret then, that we are now privy to? I love the subtle reminder that great art so often begins with a simple thought, scrawled in a notebook. Curator: Exactly! "Notities" showcases the crucial role of sketching in developing larger pieces. Now, reflecting, it underscores the fluidity between different forms of inscription in artistic practice. Editor: This little drawing... it makes me want to grab my own notebook and get creating!