Ontwerpen c. 1930

Editor: So, this is "Ontwerpen," or "Designs," a c. 1930 pencil and paper work by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. It feels like looking into the artist's private thoughts, almost like rifling through their sketchbook. What strikes you most about these geometric forms? Curator: The seeming simplicity is quite deceiving, isn't it? These sketches offer us a privileged glimpse into the design process, that often hidden world where functionality meets aesthetic aspiration. Given the context of the 1930s, can you see any traces of the Bauhaus influence? Editor: Perhaps in the clean lines and focus on geometric shapes? But how would Cachet’s work interact with the larger social context? Curator: Absolutely. Consider how mass production was changing society. Artists grappled with the challenge of balancing artistic expression with industrial demands. The design is for everyday objects, perhaps utilitarian or decorative. Now, if this sketch made it into the world of products, who had access to them and who decided on the accessibility? Editor: So it is more than aesthetics? Curator: Precisely! It also reflects evolving ideas about taste and social values and speaks to a shift towards more functional designs available to a wider range of consumers. Design shapes culture, dictating a vision. Editor: It’s fascinating how a simple sketch can reveal so much about an artist's era. It highlights the political significance behind the creation of simple objects. Thank you. Curator: And to me it reinforces how museums play such a vital role. Not just to house precious works but to shed light on all these artistic evolutions and reveal social landscapes to which art responds and contributes.