Ontwerp voor een kansel c. 1906

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this sketch for a pulpit using graphite on paper. The swift strokes suggest the artist captured the design idea quickly. Cachet’s choice of graphite is interesting. Usually, it is seen as a preliminary medium – a means to an end. But here, the sketch itself is the artwork. The softness of the graphite allows for subtle shading, giving depth to the design and emphasizing the tactile qualities of the pulpit, which, when realized, would be carved from wood. The hand-drawn lines create a sense of intimacy, inviting us to consider the labor and skill involved in crafting such a structure. This invites us to reflect on the hierarchies often imposed between design and production, and the traditional distinction between the fine and applied arts.