Lot 119
  • 119

FRANCIS CAMPBELL BOILEAU CADELL, R.S.A., R.S.W. | Reflection

Estimate
400,000 - 600,000 GBP
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Description

  • Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell, R.S.A., R.S.W.
  • Reflection
  • signed and dated l.r.: F.C.B. Cadell '15; titled and signed on the backboard: No 1./ Reflection/ by/ F.C.B. Cadell.
  • oil on canvas
  • 63.5 by 76cm., 25 by 30in.

Provenance

Major Ion R. Harrison and thence by descent

Exhibited

Glasgow, McLellan Galleries, The Thistle Foundation, Pictures from a Private Collection, 1951, no.91;
Glasgow, Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum, Exhibition of Scottish Painting, 1961, no.162;
Glasgow, Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum, Colour in Scottish Painting, 1970, no.7;
Edinburgh and London, The Fine Art Society, Three Scottish Colourists, 1977, no.49;
Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, The Fine Art Society, F.C.B. Cadell Centenary Exhibition, 1983, no.32

Literature

T.J. Honeyman, Three Scottish Colourists, Edinburgh, 1950, pl.2;
R. Billcliffe, The Scottish Colourists, London, 1989, pl.48;
T. Hewlett and D. Macmillan, F.C.B. Cadell, Surrey, 2011, p.13, pl.5 

Condition

Condition Report Prepared by Hamish Deward Ltd. UNCONDITIONAL AND WITHOUT PREJUDICE Structural Condition The canvas is unlined and is structurally sound and secure. Paint surface The paint surface is also secure and has the artist's dry, unvarnished appearance. The darker areas have become rather opaque due to the artist's habit of leaving his paintings unvarnished. This could be comparatively simply resolved by applying a very thin matt varnish which would give more depth and contrast to the paint surface, allowing the colours to resonate. It would seem unlikely that the artist's foresaw how matt and opaque the surfaces of some his paintings would become. Inspection under ultraviolet light shows no evidence of any retouching. Summary The painting would therefore appear to be in excellent and stable condition with the potential to be considerably enhanced by the application of a thin matt varnish.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Catalogue Note

'... the finest works of 1911 and later were the sumptuous interiors often featuring one of his favourite models, the noted beauty, Miss Don Wauchope. She sat for Bunty [Cadell] on numerous occasions, as the model for a series of oils that he produced over the next fifteen years...'
Tom Hewlett, Cadell, The Life and Works of A Scottish Colourist, London, 1988, p.32