Architectuurstudies c. 1900

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet created these architectural studies at an unknown date with graphite. Cachet, who lived through immense social and political change, from colonialism to the World Wars, offers us sketches that prompt questions about permanence and power. These studies, spare and understated, invite us to consider the role of architecture in shaping identity, memory, and history. The sketched format suggests a fleeting, almost dreamlike quality. It is as though Cachet is asking us, "What does it mean to build, to create structures intended to last, in a world defined by its impermanence?” How do these structures impose themselves on the landscape, reflecting and shaping the society that builds them? As you gaze upon these skeletal forms, consider how architecture, like identity, is both a structure and an ongoing process. What do we choose to build, and what do we leave behind?