Dolfijn en een ornament c. 1905 - 1910

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this sketch, “Dolfijn en een ornament,” with a graphic pencil. Born in the Netherlands, Cachet lived through a time of significant social and political change, including the rise of industrialization and evolving ideas about national identity. The sketch features a dolphin, a symbol often associated with playfulness and intelligence, alongside an ornament of swirling lines. This juxtaposition invites us to consider the relationship between nature and culture, freedom and constraint. The dolphin, seemingly unburdened, contrasts with the structured and decorative ornament. The lines are light, and the images seem unfinished, so we might also consider this sketch as a symbol of possibility, of transformation. Cachet may be asking us to reflect on our place in the world and the balance we strike between our natural instincts and the societal structures that shape our lives. How do we embrace both freedom and form?