Decoratief ontwerp 1874 - 1945

Curator: This piece is entitled "Decoratief ontwerp," or Decorative Design, created sometime between 1874 and 1945. It's held here at the Rijksmuseum and attributed to Carel Adolph Lion Cachet. It is made with ink and mixed media on paper. Editor: Immediately, I notice the controlled symmetry. It’s visually calming, but those deep blacks juxtaposed with the pale gold create a somewhat somber mood, like art deco gone through a melancholic filter. Curator: It's quite interesting, because Cachet's decorative works often draw upon historical motifs, but in a thoroughly modern way. You see the stylized, almost heraldic animals nested within these geometric shapes. It suggests a conscious attempt to create a new symbolic language, echoing back to medieval tapestries, yet distinctly of its time. Editor: The tension between those very clearly defined compartments and the fluid, almost organic forms contained within creates a push and pull that I find engaging. It's like the artist is grappling with structure and freedom simultaneously. Semiotically speaking, the grid gives legibility to decode abstract units with high readability. Curator: Indeed. One might interpret these recurring animal forms as representative of established values or cultural identifiers the artist is reimagining within a contemporary context. Cachet was deeply involved in the Dutch Arts and Crafts movement, attempting to re-establish hand-made craft with spiritual value to a mass-produced environment. Editor: The toned paper also affects our reading; its muted quality gives a patina of age, a deliberate callback. Though a decorative work, it’s undeniably challenging the concept of pure ornamentation. It begs to be used in architectural form to promote a type of modern social aesthetics. Curator: Exactly. It acts as a bridge, speaking to a legacy while bravely projecting forward. Consider that this piece comes from an era grappling with industrialization and the changing roles of art and design. Editor: Looking again, it becomes very clear that while symmetry provides initial clarity, it is really an intellectual mechanism for further pattern exploration. An excellent tension overall, formal and expressive. Curator: Precisely. What appeared ornamental holds unexpected depth. Editor: And offers repeated, lasting engagement.