Kerkraam c. 1905 - 1906

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this drawing of a church window, or 'Kerkraam' in Dutch, with graphite on paper. You can almost feel the artist thinking through the design process, with that little key of shapes to the left. Look closely, and you'll notice how the graphite is layered to create depth. It is not just a flat, uniform grey. There's a real push-pull happening, a kind of dance between the lines and shadows. The texture of the paper itself becomes part of the artwork, giving the lines a slightly broken, imperfect quality. I am drawn to the way the repeating shapes both create structure and invite the eye to wander. There's a sense of order, but also a freedom. For me, this drawing echoes the spirit of artists like Paul Klee, who also found so much possibility in simple lines and forms. Ultimately, art is a conversation across time, an ongoing exploration with no final destination.