Lopende man met een last op de rug 1874 - 1945

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this drawing, "Lopende man met een last op de rug," with pencil and crayon on paper. These are humble, direct materials, linked to the everyday practice of sketching and the immediacy of the artist’s hand. The choice of material and mark-making influences how the image is perceived. The weight of the mark in charcoal versus the lightness of the blue crayon line, gives depth to the artwork. Look at the layering of hatching, cross-hatching and smudging that builds the figure and the burden on his back. The man seems bent under the weight. The rough and ready effect speaks to a social realism and the artist’s sensitivity to the laboring classes. It invites us to consider the social context of work, politics, and consumption. We can see that Cachet was less concerned with traditional artistic refinement and more interested in conveying a message through the very act of making. This work shows how the humblest of materials can become the most expressive.