‘It was in Iona that Cadell lived his fuller life as an artist. And it is his work there that the Scottish colour- tradition label may be most fittingly applied…It is in these that one sees a response to the essential qualities.’
Iona, a small island off the coast of Mull, had captivated Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell since his first visit in 1912 while on a sailing trip with a friend. He returned to the island nearly every summer thereafter, drawn by the rugged landscape of rocks and surf, the islands which shimmered and danced in the distance, and the captivating and constantly changing effects of the light and weather on the shore and sea. Cadell had a unique ability to capture the transient effects of this luminous light upon the landscape, and following the First World War, he began to use a technique of painting directly onto un-primed panels, inscribing the backs with ‘Absorbent Ground Never Varnish,’ which caused his colours to almost shimmer. The present work perfectly captures the otherworldly effect of this light, the cool jewel-like and ever-changing sea contrasting dramatically with the solid permanence of the sharp rock outcroppings, depicted in warmer tones of pink and mauve. Cadell’s scenes of Iona were to prove immensely popular, and some of his most saleable works, offering viewers a sense of escapism in their uninterrupted depictions of striking natural beauty and solitude.
Cadell found not only inspiration in Iona, but also a place of refuge. He visited the island during the brief breaks he had from the French trenches during the First World War, and following the conflict, the seclusion and peace of Iona offered him a different lifestyle to that of Edinburgh’s bustling urbanity. A gregarious and outgoing personality, the artist became quickly acquainted with the locals, who in turn regarded him with affection, as well as respect for his talents as an artist. Cadell encouraged the artist Samuel John Peploe to visit Iona as well, and the works the two artists produced there over the summers, with their bold colours and strong lines, indicate the influence of French Post-Impressionism and are defining features of the Scottish Colourists. It is no surprise, therefore, that Cadell visited the cherished island with the Harrison family in 1932, having developed a close friendship with them following their initial meeting in 1928.
