Ornamenten met lijnen en patronen c. 1925

Curator: Welcome! Before us is "Ornamenten met lijnen en patronen," or "Ornaments with lines and patterns," a drawing made around 1925 by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet. It resides here in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Well, it certainly has an unfinished, almost frantic feel. A glimpse into the artist's process, maybe? So many barely-there lines... you can see the grid of the paper underneath. Very skeletal. Curator: Indeed. Cachet was deeply involved in the Dutch Arts and Crafts movement, where there was often an elevated position ascribed to drafts and the role they play in forming later works. This study allows us to see him experimenting with geometric forms. Think about how craft exhibitions aimed to display design processes. Editor: And the stark materiality… Just paper and pencil. He isn't hiding the means of production here, is he? These were cheap materials accessible to the artist, very appropriate in terms of socialist ideals associated to art nouveau's wider, societal effects. No fancy oils or precious metals, just simple form conveyed simply. Curator: The sketch includes circles, lines, and floral-esque motifs that feel almost architectural, and are reflective of broader trends of Art Nouveau which impacted urbanism and building design at the time. I find it captivating how these preliminary forms speak to the artist’s intention of ornament, especially as related to craft as labor. Editor: It certainly emphasizes the labor! You see every stroke, every adjustment. These lines almost show evidence of artistic problem-solving as it's happening in real time. These simple shapes are like artifacts—traces of the mind, you might say. Curator: And don't discount how its presentation here elevates what might otherwise be deemed ephemera into the realm of art. The Rijksmuseum bestowing importance… shaping art history as it catalogues these kinds of intimate pieces, no? Editor: Absolutely, which, ultimately, is revealing; this kind of artifact highlights all the processes involved with an end result. We must also admit that art schools continue using drawings as means to convey materiality to this day, allowing Cachet’s artwork a lasting impression. Curator: I find that so resonant. What a wonderful note to end on! Thank you for your thoughts on this amazing and revealing piece of work. Editor: My pleasure; I also learned quite a bit. Thanks.