Onderlichaam, voeten en een rok 1874 - 1945

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this simple drawing of a seated figure with graphite on paper; it’s all about reduction to the essential. The quick, gestural lines are so immediate, like he’s trying to capture a fleeting thought. Look at how he suggests form with the barest of means, just a few strokes to define the weight of the body and the drape of the skirt. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the page, exploring the figure in space. The economy of the line makes me think about the Japanese art of calligraphy, where every mark carries intention. The marks carry a huge amount of information, like the confident curve of the legs or the light strokes of the skirt which hang over them. In this way, this sketch reminds me of drawings by Henri Matisse, with a similar sense of line that conveys a feeling of energy and motion. For both artists, drawing is a way of thinking, not just representing. It embraces ambiguity and the multiple possibilities of form.