Twee geiten en een hond c. 1930

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this sketch of two goats and a dog sometime in his life, using graphite on paper. It looks like a page torn from a sketchbook, still showing the rough edge. The lines feel provisional, like the artist was thinking through the forms, correcting, adjusting. I love the way the pencil is used to create darker, smudged areas that suggest shadow and volume, especially on the body of the goat. These smudges give the drawing a tangible, almost sculptural quality, contrasting with the crisp, almost playful outlines of the animals. Look at how the head of the dog is tilted, how the simple lines somehow convey its weight. The physicality of the medium, the way the graphite sits on the page, really shapes the way we experience the drawing. It’s a snapshot of a moment, a fleeting impression captured with remarkable economy. For me, the sketch recalls similar works by artists like Constantin Guys or even Picasso, who both had an incredible ability to capture the essence of a subject with just a few lines.