Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell

Lachlan Paterson MacKenzie, Edinburgh;
Mrs. Harper, Portishead, Somerset;
Thence by family descent to the present owner

The board is sound. There are some minor horizontal hairline cracks scattered across the surface of the board but these are very light and appear to be stable. There are some very minor spots of surface dirt. There is some very minor frame abrasion to the extreme edges. Otherwise in good original condition. Ultraviolet light reveals no sign of retouching. Held in a simple black painted wooden frame with some minor surface abrasions. Under glass and unexamined out of frame.
"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."

Still Life (Tomatoes) probably dates to c.1920 although it is hard to conclusively date this painting, which is unusual in subject and highly individual in style. After 1913 Cadell rarely dated a picture and the lists of the pictures he exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh and elsewhere, are rarely more enlightening than Still Life. By the mid to late 1920s Cadell had refined his still lifes, refining the detail and creating images in which the perspectives were purposefully flattened and the tonal values were given more intensity. The Impressionistic use of paint of the earlier still lifes had given way to a more angular and crisper technique, often with primary colours, which reflect a more Fauvist approach to painting. In the present work Cadell employs a strikingly Modernist approach to perspective by reducing the structure of the composition to its essential elements. The technique used in Still Life (Tomatoes) is comparable to the work of Sir William Nicholson in the seemingly informal arrangement of simple objects which in fact underpin rigorous compositional symmetry, as observed in Books and Things (1920, sold in these rooms, 11 December 2006, lot 2), Indian Pinks (c.1928, Coll. Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery). The two tone red and white palette of Still Life (Tomatoes) has enormous visual impact. The subtle aerial perspective allows the full redness of the tomatoes to be shown and contrasted with the bright white pigment in the surrounding areas. The background in the upper section of the work is a semblance of geometric forms and shapes which display Cadell's exploration of abstraction as observed in Still Life, Tulips (Lot 152 in the current sale). Still Life (Tomatoes) is one of Cadell's most interesting and unusual paintings which represents a key moment in his artistic development.