I am looking forward to giving the talk ‘A Scottish Colourist in our Midst: F. C. B. Cadell‘ on 13 October 2022, as part of the Moray Feu Bicentenary events programme. The event will be hosted by its sponsor, Lyon & Turnbull.
oil on canvas, 113.1 x 86.8cm
National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh: Purchased 2015
F. C. B. Cadell
Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell is one of the four artists known as the Scottish Colourists, along with J. D. Fergusson, G. L. Hunter and S. J. Peploe. They are Scotland’s most celebrated twentieth-century artists. Cadell is renowned for his depictions of the elegant New Town interiors of his native Edinburgh, for portraits and for his work made on the Isle of Iona.
oil on canvas, 101.6 x 76.2cm
Glasgow Life: Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum: Purchased 1926
Ainslie Place
Ainslie Place is one of thirteen streets which, along with four gardens, make up the ‘Moray Feu’, which was established in 1822. Cadell grew up at 22 Ainslie Place and as an adult lived at 6 Ainslie Place between 1920 and 1931. He painted the front door of number six bright blue to annoy his neighbours and took great trouble over the stylish decoration of its interiors. His home became the subject matter and setting for a remarkable series of pictures created during the 1920s.
Photo: Alex Robson
New Research
Having curated the 2011 National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) Cadell retrospective exhibition and written the accompanying publication, it has been fascinating to undertake new research looking at this aspect of the artist’s life and work in detail. For example, I have been through Cadell’s Register of Pictures and Address Book, both on long-loan to the NGS, to find links to his fellow Moray Feu residents. For further information about ‘A Scottish Colourist in our Midst: F. C. B and to book tickets, please follow this link.
For more about Cadell, you might enjoy this article and this blog.
