Ontwerp voor een oorkonde voor Pieter Julius van Wijngaarden, 1922 1922

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this design for a certificate for Pieter Julius van Wijngaarden in 1922. I love that we can see the process here, the squared paper showing through the design, and the way that the artist has allowed the marks to wander. It reminds me that making art is a process, and not just about the end result. Looking closer, you can see the texture of the paper and the soft grey of the pencil. The lines aren't perfect, and there's a real sense of the hand at work. See how the swirls around the edges aren't symmetrical, how each one is slightly different? That's what gives the piece its charm. I think about the way the artist has embraced the imperfections and allowed the design to have a kind of organic, hand-made quality. Cachet's work makes me think of the graphic design of William Morris, who had a similar interest in hand-made design. It's like these artists are showing us that art is a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas across time. Ultimately, it's up to us to find our own meaning in the work.