Ontwerp voor een monumentale bank met het wapen van Haarlem 1874 - 1945

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this design for a monumental bench with the coat of arms of Haarlem using pen and India ink. The color palette is super simple, various shades of dark grey and black against the paper itself. There's a real sense of light and shadow, which makes the composition feel immediate, as though you're looking at it in person. Looking closely at the trees in the background, you see how the artist has blocked out areas of tone to describe the foliage. The architecture seems to melt into its surroundings: it's all about atmosphere. The use of line is equally economic but creates a strong sense of form. I’m reminded of Manet, someone who understood the power of leaving things unsaid. It’s like Cachet is inviting us to complete the picture ourselves, to bring our own experiences to the table. It's this open-ended quality that makes art so endlessly fascinating.