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

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made these 'Designs for the base of a baptismal font' with pencil. It’s the kind of drawing where you can see the artist thinking through the object, trying out different versions. The lines feel so tentative, like the artist is feeling their way through the shapes. I love how you can see all the crossed-out lines and corrections. It gives the drawing a sense of energy and movement. There’s one design, the one on the left, where the base sort of balloons out in the middle. It’s a strange shape, almost comical. It reminds me of some of the furniture designs by Eileen Gray, how she would take these traditional forms and then give them a little twist. It’s like Cachet is playing with the idea of what a baptismal font should look like, pushing it in unexpected directions. Ultimately, art isn’t about answers, it’s about keeping the conversation going.