Portret van Joanna Lion Cachet-Cordes c. 1935 - 1940

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet created this sketch of Joanna Lion Cachet-Cordes, likely as a preliminary study, using graphite on paper. The portrait is defined by its economy of line, a flurry of marks that barely contain the subject’s likeness. The face, tilted upwards, is rendered with a mix of delicate curves and sharp, decisive strokes. This contrast creates a dynamic tension, hinting at the subject's inner life without fully revealing it. The rapid, almost frantic lines around the hair and neck suggest movement, as if the artist sought to capture a fleeting expression. The blank space surrounding the figure is as crucial as the drawn lines. It creates a sense of incompleteness, inviting the viewer to participate in the act of imagining, thus challenging fixed notions of representation. This interplay between presence and absence emphasizes the fluidity of identity and the transient nature of perception. Note how the formal qualities of the sketch, its incompleteness and reliance on suggestion, contribute to a larger philosophical discourse on the nature of representation and the limits of visual knowledge.