Meisje in schoolbank 1874 - 1945

This is Carel Adolph Lion Cachet's "Meisje in schoolbank," or "Girl in School Desk" a drawing of some kind, maybe ink on paper. I love the way the shapes flatten and pop forward all at once. The girl’s sleeve is covered in polka dots like a swarm of tiny eyes, each one a handmade universe. The bold contrast between black and white creates an almost electric energy, as if the image is vibrating on the paper. Look at how Cachet captures the dress, a cascade of lines that somehow feel both precise and gestural. See that dark shape looming above the girl’s head? It’s a simple form, but it adds a sense of mystery, like a shadow of something unseen. It reminds me of the way Paula Modersohn-Becker would use black in her woodcuts - a grounding force, but also a bit spooky. Art, like school, is full of endless possibilities and mysteries.