Ontwerpen voor Naaistersvereniging 'Allen Eén' c. 1903 - 1904

This is a pencil sketch by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, titled ‘Ontwerpen voor Naaistersvereniging ‘Allen Eén,’ and it's housed in the Rijksmuseum. You know, there’s something about seeing the genesis of an idea that’s so intimate. Here, the artist is letting us peek into their process, the way ideas just spill out onto the page. The lines are tentative, searching, as if Cachet is feeling his way through the design. Look at the lettering, the way it curves and swells – it’s almost architectural, each letter a building block. Then there are the patterns, little geometric puzzles that suggest a larger decorative scheme. And the sun, radiating its energy across the page as though Cachet is using line to create light. You know, it makes me think of Hilma af Klint, another artist who explored the spiritual through abstract forms. It’s like Cachet is saying, “Let’s build something beautiful, something meaningful, together."