Ex libris van Carel Lion Cachet 1932

This 'Ex libris' by Carel Lion Cachet—or bookplate—is rendered in shades of fiery orange and moody grey. Imagine Cachet hunched over a block of wood, carving out this design, pushing the limits of his tools, and the material itself. The image feels both heraldic and organic, almost like a living emblem. The flames lick around the edges like a graphic forest fire, surrounding the letters that bloom like sun rays. There's something so tactile about prints; you can almost feel the pressure of the block on the paper, the artist's hand guiding the tool. You wonder, did he create this for himself, or was it a commission? It makes me think about the tradition of artists exchanging ideas through printmaking, a kind of visual conversation happening across time and space. It’s a reminder that art-making is a form of embodied expression, always embracing uncertainty and open to endless interpretations.