Schetsboek met 11 bladen 1895

Curator: Before us, we have "Sketchbook with 11 Leaves" by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, dating back to 1895 and held here at the Rijksmuseum. It employs mixed media, including drawing and colored pencil on paper. Editor: It's...humble, wouldn’t you say? Like something you might find tucked away in an attic, filled with someone’s private thoughts and observations. The texture of the aged paper is immediately appealing. Curator: Absolutely. And context is key here. Cachet was deeply involved in the Arts and Crafts movement. We have to consider how this ethos shaped his artistic output, and, indeed, his worldview. The movement promoted a return to traditional craftsmanship, challenging the dominance of industrial production and raising questions of class and labor. Editor: Exactly! The materiality speaks volumes. Look at the obvious hand-made quality, the simple binding. There is a clear rejection of mass production here, and embracing of simple methods of working. Was he making his own paper as well, I wonder? Curator: It pushes us to confront issues that remain relevant today concerning art's purpose and accessibility. His integration of Arts and Crafts ideals offers a commentary on the societal structures of his time, advocating for an inclusive artistic culture that resists marginalization and oppression. Editor: I'm particularly drawn to what the artist choses to capture in those drawings, though it is difficult to see on the cover here. It gives you insight to Cachet's process, not only physically but mentally. It would be fascinating to study those drawings, the use of material in each one. Curator: It speaks to broader issues regarding creativity and artistic license in an era of rising social inequalities. How are we implicated in these issues even today? The materiality here evokes this conversation. Editor: Definitely! Cachet gives us much to think about in a package of humble making, prompting discussion around his making, societal expectations, and continued reflections that come from studying this piece today. Curator: Indeed. Lion Cachet's sketchbook provides fertile ground for reflecting on the role of art as an agent of change, connecting with a timeless fight against injustices, as visible here within the materials that construct a quiet rebellion.