Vierkant met daarin een decoratief patroon 1874 - 1945

Curator: Here we have “Vierkant met daarin een decoratief patroon,” or “Square with a Decorative Pattern” by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, made sometime between 1874 and 1945. It’s a graphite drawing on paper. Editor: The first thing that strikes me is how preliminary it feels—a draft of something more, a study of form perhaps. You see the grid of the paper showing through, giving the drawing a sense of mathematical precision underlying its decorative impulse. Curator: Precisely! This drawing offers a fascinating look into Cachet's design process. Considering the Pattern and Decoration movement, it's important to look at the relationship between craft and art, particularly within the colonial context of Cachet’s work in the Dutch East Indies. Editor: It speaks volumes about the materials available to the artist at that time. The humble graphite and paper place the focus squarely on the geometric principles at play and how they can be used across varying socioeconomic backgrounds. It asks us to reconsider high and low art hierarchies. Curator: It prompts us to think about the historical separation between so-called fine art and applied arts. Designs like these might have been destined for textiles or architectural details, and such creative work often gets assigned different cultural and economic values depending on the gender, race, or social position of the artist. Editor: It really feels like Cachet is laying bare his methodology. What narratives were constructed through his art during this era? Who benefited from these patterns? Curator: Those are vital questions to ponder! His position in Dutch society shaped both his perspective and access, while his designs were deeply influenced by colonial experiences. Analyzing how power operates within these interwoven social relationships opens new dialogues with historical artworks. Editor: I leave with a renewed sense of how the most delicate drawings are infused with materiality, politics, and profound considerations for consumption. Curator: And I see that examining the lines and angles of Cachet’s square offers powerful insight into broader aesthetic and social currents.