Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell: The Red Chair

Francis Cadell (1883-1937) was born in Edinburgh, and educated at the Edinburgh Academy. From the age of 16 he studied in Paris at the Académie Julian, where he was in contact with the French avant-garde of the day. While in France, his exposure to work by the early Fauvists, and in particular Matisse, proved to be his most lasting influence. After his return to Scotland, he was a regular exhibitor in Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as in London.

He enjoyed the landscape of Iona enormously, which he first visited in 1912 and features prominently in his work. During the 1920s he spent several summers with Samuel Peploe, another Scottish Colourist, on painting trips to Iona, and was also friends with the Scottish architect Reginald Fairlie. Cadell and the other Scottish Colourists were influenced by Japanese art and also inspired by Japanese objects.

Cadell’s use of interior objects could have also been influenced by the work of Van Gogh. When Cadell moved to Paris, it was possible that he saw the landmark Van Gogh exhibition that was held in 1901. Cadell’s re-occurring use of the bright red chair, painted to look like red lacquer, can be seen as an emblem of his dandy tastes and style. Similarly, Van Gogh frequently painted his own chair as a portrait of himself albeit with a more modest outcome.

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HC-1178: card size 7" x 5" (178mm x 131mm)