Decoratief ontwerp met bladmotief 1874 - 1945

This decorative design with leaf motifs was made by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet with brush and pen in ink and pencil on paper. Looking at this, I see the grid first – it reminds me that design is a process, a kind of puzzle-solving. I love how the dark ink sits right on top of the paper. You can see the way the brush was loaded, maybe with a bit too much ink at times, creating darker pools. Look at the upper left corner. You can see the ghost of the pencil marks underneath. There's a real tension between the rigid geometry of the grid and the organic shapes of the leaves. It's like Cachet is trying to tame nature, but the leaves keep pushing back, creating these lively, asymmetrical forms. I'm reminded of William Morris, who also used natural forms in his designs, but Cachet has a looser, more improvisational feel. It’s like a conversation between control and spontaneity.