Ontwerpen voor een stoel 1896

Curator: These are preliminary "Ontwerpen voor een stoel," or Designs for a Chair, from 1896, rendered in pencil on paper by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet. They reside here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: I'm immediately struck by the ethereality of it. The lines are so light, almost hesitant. It feels like we're glimpsing a thought in progress rather than a finished product. Curator: Exactly! This sketchbook quality provides insight into the design process at the turn of the century. The artist, involved in the Dutch Arts and Crafts movement, used preliminary sketches like this one to envision furniture in line with his aesthetic ideals. These movements aimed to counter mass-produced goods. Editor: You can certainly see the influence of Art Nouveau in the flowing lines, even in a skeletal sketch such as this. The emphasis is on form and function, even in a nascent stage of design. I wonder, do you find the multiple viewpoints disorienting, or do they add to the dynamism? Curator: For me, it represents an intriguing conversation with evolving cultural values that embraced handmade goods over increasingly prevalent mechanization. It marks Cachet's contribution to Dutch visual arts. Editor: Well, to my eyes, the appeal is primarily structural; it's fascinating to see the basic shapes begin to coalesce into what is, at least conceptually, a chair. Curator: And isn’t that so fascinating to study the foundations of a chair in the context of art, a rather political and symbolic placement? Editor: Yes, a great insight to its historical and political undertones which gives a beautiful synthesis.