Studies c. 1930

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this set of studies, with what looks like ink on paper. There is something so enticing about seeing the marks and decisions of another artist laid bare on the page. I can feel the artist working, wrestling with these shapes. It’s less about what they represent and more about the process of trying to capture their essence on paper. Look at that square on the right, the confidence of those enclosing lines, compared to the frenetic energy inside. There is a real contrast between the static and the dynamic. It is this contrast that makes this so interesting, and this kind of energy is so familiar to me. It makes me think of Cy Twombly, in the way that he approached classical themes with such immediacy and looseness. There is an honesty to the artist's sketchbooks, and the invitation to see them is one that should always be welcomed.