Windmolen 1874 - 1945

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet created this watercolor painting of a windmill. Note how the watery qualities of the paint are used to create an impressionistic image. Cachet would have prepared this sheet of paper, most likely cotton rag, with a thin layer of sizing to control the absorbency of the surface. This allowed him to make thin washes and also build up darker areas of tone, giving a sense of depth. But the image also resonates with a deeper history. Windmills, of course, are machines. They convert natural energy into a commodity – ground grain. As such, they have always been central to the story of labor, economics, and the landscape. Here, the artist gives us a sense of the windmill’s monumental scale, its importance to Dutch history and its connection to the cycles of nature. This simple painting, therefore, invites reflection on the relation between human effort and the world around us.