Ontwerp voor een boekband (voor Charivaria?) 1874 - 1945

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this book cover design using ink on graph paper. The grid gives it this real sense of process, like we're seeing the artist's mind at work. The marks are bold, almost like woodcuts but with a looseness to them, they feel really thought through, each one considered and placed with intention. Looking closer, there's an interesting tension between the rigidity of the grid and the free-flowing forms. The ink isn't precious. It bleeds a little, it varies in tone, and that really adds to the handmade feel. There is this incredible maze-like pattern in the middle that feels like some kind of central figure. It’s dark and dense, like a knot, anchoring the whole design. This reminds me a little bit of the work of Hilma af Klint, and the way she balances abstract forms with symbolic content. Both artists are clearly engaged in a kind of visual thinking, where the act of making becomes a way of exploring deeper ideas.