Ontwerp voor vignet van de Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij, K.P.M. Lines 1874 - 1945

This is Carel Adolph Lion Cachet’s design for the Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij vignette, made at the Rijksmuseum. The image is a flurry of looping blue shapes on a pale yellow ground, like a dream of the sea. I imagine Cachet, brush in hand, leaning in, making each mark a little dance. The paint isn’t thick, but the gestures are confident, carving out a space for the ship in the center, with the words KPM LINES floating just below. It’s got this cool, almost psychedelic vibe, doesn’t it? You can see the influence of art nouveau. There’s something about the way the shapes twist and turn that reminds me of Van Gogh. These artists are all in conversation, you know? Each one builds on what came before, remixing and reinterpreting, and like a boat setting sail, each of them sending us on our own voyage of discovery.