Ontwerpen voor het onderstel van een doopvont c. 1905 - 1906

This sheet of paper holds various sketches, by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, for the base of a font. Look at those wavering grey lines; you can almost see his hand moving across the paper. I wonder what Lion Cachet was thinking about when he made this? Was he considering how to build and support something, or was he thinking about elegance and grace? Or both? See how the marks vary in pressure, some bold and confident, others light and hesitant. The image on the left has a real sense of weight. The table legs look like they have big thighs; it is sturdy and reliable. By contrast, the sketch in the top right is more fanciful, with curlicues and a lighter touch. Each mark seems to be in conversation with the others, as though the artist is mapping out a constellation of possibilities. It makes me think about the many conversations that artists have with one another across time. We're all just trying to figure things out, one mark at a time, hoping something beautiful will emerge from the chaos.