Koppen van een jongen en een vrouw c. 1905

This drawing, "Koppen van een jongen en een vrouw", was made by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet. You can see the artist using graphite to explore form, capturing the essence of a face through a flurry of lines. It's like Cachet is thinking out loud with his pencil. The marks aren't precious, they're searching, like he's feeling his way around the shapes. Look at the boy's face. See how some lines are darker, defining the curve of his cheek, while others are just whispers, hinting at the planes beneath. It is a process of reduction to the essential, I like that. The texture of the paper feels almost as important as the marks themselves. You can feel the grain through the drawing. It reminds me of the way Giacometti used to draw; it's all about the energy of the line. It’s this openness, this willingness to leave things unresolved, that makes the drawing so alive. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about perfection, it’s about the messy, beautiful process of seeing.