Ontwerp voor een monumentale bank ter ere van burgemeester van Haarlem Cornelis Maarschalk van Egmond en Rinnegom; studies van het familiewapen 1874 - 1945

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this design for a monumental bench in honour of Haarlem’s mayor, using pen and ink. The drawing looks like a study in balance, with the chair’s curves mirrored in its straight lines. Look at how the ink pools in certain areas, like where the legs meet the ground, creating an anchor. The bold outlines remind me of Matisse, but with a Dutch sensibility. What I find most intriguing is the negative space around the chair. The artist hasn't filled it in, leaving it open for interpretation. It’s as though the chair could occupy any space, or perhaps it exists only as an idea, a concept. This makes me think about art itself, how it can be both present and absent, solid and ephemeral. The drawing feels both complete, but also like just one idea in an ongoing process.