Decoratief ontwerp 1874 - 1945

Editor: This is “Decoratief ontwerp” by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, probably created sometime between 1874 and 1945. It's a drawing in watercolor on paper and it strikes me as intentionally unfinished, like we're looking at the blueprint for something larger. What can you tell me about it? Curator: You’ve touched on an important point. This work offers a glimpse into the design process itself. Note the grid. Cachet seems less concerned with creating a finalized aesthetic object and more with meticulously mapping out a repeating decorative motif. This reveals a shift in how we view art's purpose within the broader social structure of the time. Instead of high art, meant only for wealthy patrons, you now see artists creating designs intended for wider, possibly even mass production. Where might we expect to find this pattern? Editor: Perhaps wallpaper or some sort of textile? Something functional rather than purely aesthetic? Curator: Precisely. Now consider this: How does the “unfinished” nature, the very display of the working grid, potentially influence how the *public* views the role of the artist? Does it demystify the creative process? Editor: It does. It almost makes it seem like anyone could reproduce this pattern, democratizing design, perhaps? I hadn't considered the power dynamics at play here, the role of design and production itself. Curator: Exactly! It's not merely a pretty design, but a document of the changing role of art in society, reflective of burgeoning industrialization. Looking closely reveals so much more than simply meets the eye, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Absolutely. I will never look at decorative arts the same way.