Decoratief ontwerp 1874 - 1945

This is a design, made with pencil and watercolour by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, and held at the Rijksmuseum. There’s a lot to be said for art that’s upfront about its underpinnings. The grid in this piece, usually hidden under layers of paint, is right there. It's kind of like seeing the scaffolding of a building; you appreciate the structure that holds it all together. The monochromatic palette, mostly greys, pushes the focus onto the form. Look at how Cachet uses the watercolour, it’s thin, almost translucent in places, then built up for emphasis. The curvilinear forms, with their rhythmic repetition, gives the piece a textile quality. This reminds me a little of Hilma af Klint's work, especially in how she used a limited palette and geometric forms to create these almost mystical compositions. It’s like they’re both trying to tap into something beyond the surface, a hidden language of form.