Ornamenten met bladeren c. 1905 - 1906

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this sketchbook page of ornament designs with pencil on paper. Look at the varying pressure of the pencil lines as he lays out his designs. You can almost feel him thinking through the shapes. The visible texture of the paper adds a tactile dimension, making you want to reach out and touch the surface. I’m drawn to the slight imperfections in the lines, the way they waver and sometimes break. See how the artist plays with the idea of symmetry and asymmetry in the leaf arrangements? It reminds me of some of the early studies by Gustav Klimt, where he was working out ideas for his more elaborate, decorative paintings. This drawing is a reminder that even the most polished and refined works of art often begin with simple, tentative marks on paper, and that there's something beautiful and honest in that process.