Decoratief ontwerp met gekroonde W omringd door personen 1874 - 1945

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this decorative design with a crowned W and figures using ink on paper. I'm really drawn to the gridded paper peeking through Cachet's washes, evidence of the working process itself. You can see the artist laying down these beautiful, fluid shapes, trying to get the balance just right between dark and light, figure and ground. The crowned “W” motif sits nestled within this human landscape, a symbol surrounded by people. I wonder, was Cachet thinking about community, or hierarchy, or something else entirely? The inky quality gives it a sense of timelessness, like an ancient drawing discovered in an old manuscript. The fluidity of the ink allows for multiple interpretations, inviting us to project our own thoughts and feelings onto the design. This piece feels related to the graphic quality of artists like William Blake and the symbolic imagery of the Symbolist painters. It reminds me that artists build upon each other's work, creating an ongoing conversation across time.