Ornamentaal ontwerp met leeuwen 1874 - 1945

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this ornamental design with lions using pen and brush in grey ink. What I love here is the grid, which is hand-drawn! It’s all about the underlying structure, like the hidden architecture of a painting that can only be sensed and not seen. You can see Lion Cachet working within its constraints, trying things out, maybe even correcting himself. I imagine him drawing each line carefully, counting each square, and adjusting the design to fit. The two lion heads, facing us, are really interesting—they create a kind of symmetrical, rhythmic pattern with the foliage. These lions feel both powerful and decorative. It makes me think of how artists like Matisse or Kandinsky looked to ornamentation to find new ways of organizing color and form in their paintings. It's all one big conversation.