Vogels c. 1930

This quick sketch of birds was made by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, a Dutch artist born in the late 19th century. Cachet lived through a time of massive shifts in colonialism and cultural identity. We see three birds hastily drawn, as though he quickly captured them while on the move. These images exist in stark contrast to the detailed studies of the natural world that were frequently commissioned for scientific purposes, and that fed into the colonial project. As we consider Cachet's images we may reflect on what it means to look at, to study, and to draw another living being. Rather than providing us with a narrative about the birds, or even trying to capture their essence, this page feels more like a visual record of his own attention. "Vogels" feels less about documentation and more about the artist's fleeting experience. Cachet offers us a glimpse into his personal way of seeing.