Fantasiefiguren die emmers dragen c. 1895 - 1900

This is a charcoal drawing of fantasy figures carrying buckets by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection. Lion Cachet was a Dutch artist, born in 1864, who lived through a period of significant social and political change. The spindly figures, with their vacant stares and heavy burdens, evoke a sense of weariness and perhaps even futility. It's hard not to see a commentary on the working class and the endless cycle of labor, particularly in light of the burgeoning socialist movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The absence of a background amplifies the feeling of isolation, placing the figures in a kind of existential void. The artist seems to ask, what are they carrying, and to what end? The simplicity of the drawing only heightens its emotional impact. The work reminds us of the countless unseen laborers whose efforts support the foundations of society.