Decoratief ontwerp in rood en zwart 1874 - 1945

This 'Decoratief ontwerp in rood en zwart' lives at the Rijksmuseum, and was made by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet at an unknown date. I imagine Cachet sitting with his pencil and paper, trying to create something decorative out of simple geometric forms. The grid beneath gives a sense of a structure being built up block by block. I love that! It feels so methodical, almost like following a pattern or a set of rules. The tension between the black and red shapes creates this push and pull, a visual vibration that keeps your eye moving. It feels like he’s playing with the idea of order versus chaos, control versus chance, echoing the work of his peers but still feeling utterly unique to Cachet. He’s in conversation with all the other artists who have ever tried to make something beautiful and meaningful. The decorative arts are the fine arts too, and that distinction can be too easily made.