Ontwerpen voor het onderstel van een tafel c. 1906

This sheet of studies for table legs was drawn by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet. It’s a glimpse into his process of artmaking, a world of possibilities explored in graphite. The marks here are light and searching, like a sculptor finding form in a block of marble. Look at the table leg in the center, with the crossbar and decorative flourishes. The lines are tentative but confident, mapping out the object in space. The texture of the paper itself plays a role. The tooth grabs at the graphite, adding a subtle layer of visual noise that enlivens the surface. It reminds me of sketches by Rodin, where the artist's hand is so present, so alive on the page. It's a reminder that art isn't just about the finished product, it's about the journey. The artist is trying to find the form, the weight, the presence of an object in the world. It’s a conversation, a dialogue between the artist and the material, full of starts, stops, and revisions.