Figuren in een zaal met een koepeldak c. 1895

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this sketchbook page with pencil, featuring studies of figures, architecture and animals. Cachet, who lived through both World Wars, and died just days after the end of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, used art to explore his complex relationship to nation and identity. This sketchbook page encapsulates the artist's approach to identity, moving between intimate and public spaces. Here, the artist sketches what appears to be a domestic cat, curled peacefully in a circle, next to quick studies of architectural spaces that seem public and inhabited. Cachet was deeply involved in the Arts and Crafts movement, which emphasized traditional craftsmanship and often carried nationalist undertones. Looking at this sketchbook page, one can imagine Cachet studying these forms, searching for authentic representations of Dutch identity in a rapidly changing world. This piece isn't just a collection of sketches; it's a reflection on how we find and create belonging in times of great change.