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Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell 1883-1937 Jean Cadell at Dalserf, seated in a white Dress 1912 Oil on panel 14 ¾ x 18 inches (37.5 x 45.7 cm) Signed and dated b.l. PROVENANCE The Henderson-Hamilton family, owners of Dalserf House, by whom given to Mrs Tudhope; Christie's, London, 25th May 2007 (177); Private Collection. EXHIBITED Centenary Exhibition, The Fine Art Society, London, 1983 (no.20). LITERATURE Tom Hewlett, Cadell A Scottish Colourist, London, 1988, p.104, pl.90; Roger Billcliffe, The Scottish Colourists, London 1989, no.45 repr. Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell’s Jean at Dalserf House (1912) captures a moment of luminous stillness, painted in the gardens of Dalserf in Lanarkshire. The sitter, Jean Cadell, the artist’s sister, sits quietly in a white dress beneath a wide summer hat. Jean would later become a celebrated actress, but here she is presented in a private, contemplative mode, integrated with the landscape through Cadell’s swift, impressionistic brushwork. His treatment of light and colour embodies the freshness that would define his style as one of the Scottish Colourists. Cadell and his sister visited Dalserf House on many occasions as friends of another Edinburgh student James Campbell Henderson-Hamilton of Dalserf. According to family records, James and “Bunty” Cadell were close companions; James often sat for Cadell’s portraits, while Cadell frequently visited Dalserf and James dined with the Cadell family in Edinburgh. Their relationship exemplifies the bonds that nurtured Cadell’s artistic confidence, providing both subject matter and a social environment in which art could thrive. Together with Jean’s presence, Jean at Dalserf House presents a blend of familial intimacy, enduring friendship, and the artistic experimentation that defined Cadell’s early maturity. |