Schaal c. 1905 - 1910

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this pencil sketch, titled 'Schaal', in the Netherlands. The image appears to be a preparatory drawing of a simple bowl or dish. Cachet lived through a period of considerable change in the Netherlands, as it became more industrialized and urbanized. Artists like Cachet reflected these social shifts. Although at first glance this drawing seems to be simply a sketch of a functional object, the cultural context of the time may have influenced the artist’s choice of subject matter. The Dutch applied arts and design movement was on the rise, with designers and artists invested in improving the quality and aesthetic appeal of everyday items. To understand this image better, we might look to exhibition reviews, design publications, and other printed matter of the time. The history of art is, in this way, the history of culture, viewed through the lens of social change.