L13133

/

Lot 69
  • 69

Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell R.S.A., R.S.W.

Estimate
200,000 - 300,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell R.S.A., R.S.W.
  • Marigolds
  • signed l.r.: F.C.B. Cadell; also titled and signed on reverse
  • oil on panel
  • 37 by 45cm., 14½ by 17¾in.

Provenance

Pearson & Westergaard, London;
Richard Green;
Private collection;
Sotheby's, Gleneagles, 20 August 1996, lot 1186, where purchased by the present owner

Exhibited

Royal Glasgow Institution, 1932, no.240

Literature

Roger Billcliffe, The Scottish Colourists, 1989, illustrated pl.118;
Tom Hewlett and Duncan Macmillan, F.C.B. Cadell - The Life and Works of a Scottish Colourist, 1883-1937, 2011, illustrated p.123, no.128

Condition

The panel appears to be sound. Some small and minor horizontal hairline cracks which are inherent to the panel, and some minor craquelure in places, only visible upon close inspection. Otherwise the work appears in good overall condition with an impastoed surface, clean and ready to hang. Under ultraviolet light there appear to be some small flecks of infill in areas of the white pigments, mainly in the lower left and right corners, well executed. Held on a gilt moulded frame with a linen inset.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Painted in 1928, Marigolds is a beautiful example of Cadell's later still-lifes and has the same qualities as Pink Roses (sold in these rooms, 13 November 2012, lot 132). Lit by bright refracting sunlight, the strong colours shimmer against the white of the window frame and the shadows create a diffused pattern which contrasts with the bold brushstrokes of the flowers.

Cadell was an artist whose quality of work never faltered and although it evolved through various stages throughout his life, he mastered each new phase of his work and painted with a sophistication and panache which was always superb. The late 1920s and early 1930s were arguably the most fertile period for Cadell's still-life painting as he moved away from the starker Art Deco interiors and still-lifes of the early 1920s and painted with a softer and more delicate touch. Marigolds demonstrates the culmination of this developing style. This had been noted by a journalist for the Daily Mail who wrote in 1923, following an exhibition at the Leicester Galleries in 1923; '[Cadell] has solidified his style.  All forms are stated with an assurance that carves conviction...' while the Sunday Observer reported that 'not a trace of the earlier Cadell is left...although his colour has lost none of its charm and harmonious brightness’.

Cadell painted flowers with an almost architectural structure of powerful, hatched brushstrokes. His vibrant palette shows the influence his friend Samuel John Peploe had on Cadell's work at this time. This in turn came from the long periods Peploe spent in Paris, absorbing the practices of the French avant-garde, in particular Cezanne's late still lifes and the work of the Fauves. The colour and vivacity of Cadell's paintings reflected his lively personality and the intelligence and accomplishment of his pictures showed his artistic genius. Although it depicts a fairly humble jam-jar of garden flowers placed casually on the ledge of a window, Marigolds encompasses Cadell's entire artistic ethos to capture the fleeting effects of sunlight and colour harmony - a challenge that he faced repeatedly for more than thirty years.