Kerkraam c. 1905 - 1906

Editor: This is "Kerkraam," a pencil and paper drawing by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, around 1905-1906. The delicate lines creating geometric forms give it a rather architectural feel. What catches your eye in this work? Curator: What strikes me is the labor embedded within the Art Nouveau style. Cachet wasn't simply conjuring elegant lines; he was meticulously crafting a design for mass production. This drawing is a blueprint, mediating the artist's vision and the artisan's craft. Consider the materials too – humble pencil and paper, the tools of design rather than the high art materials of painting. Editor: So, you see the materials and process as crucial to understanding its significance? Curator: Precisely. Think about stained glass itself – the sourcing of the glass, the mixing of colors, the leading that holds it all together. Cachet’s design mediates this complex system of production and consumption. How does the geometric abstraction speak to you in this context? Editor: I suppose I hadn't considered it beyond the aesthetics. Maybe it is about taking a traditional art form from that time and embracing mechanization, and therefore wider accessibility? Curator: Exactly! And notice the lack of overt narrative. This design focuses on form, pattern, the sheer pleasure of repeated motifs, signaling a shift away from academic painting. Editor: So, by looking at the medium and design, we’re really seeing a conversation about art, craft, and the changing role of the artist? Curator: Indeed. It urges us to appreciate art not just for its beauty, but for the labor, the material history, and the social forces it embodies. Editor: I never would have thought about this design in that way. It gives me a completely different view to consider materials and processes when analyzing the work.