Cadell’s Still Life Series (c. 1920s)

PrintRich in saturated color and bold composition, this series of still life paintings by Scottish artist Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell balances elegance and intensity. Each piece features everyday objects—a fan, a bowl, a bottle—rendered with sharp contours and vibrant blocks of color. Whether viewed individually or as a set, the works convey a poised, almost theatrical presence, evoking both modernity and intimacy.

Aspidistra: A potted plant and bottle rendered with theatrical lighting and compositional tension; Cadell’s flair for drama distilled into still life.

Gray Fan: A restrained palette of black, white, and ochre turns this tabletop scene into a study in modernist contrast and shape.

Green Bottle: A translucent bottle anchors the composition while reflected colors and curved forms suggest quiet movement and layered space.

The Blue Fan: Cadell at his most playful—layered bowls, punchy reds, and a fan as focal point make this a standout of the series.

Rose: The most abstract of the group, with fractured brushwork and deep greens giving the bloom an almost sculptural presence.

Why We Picked It
Cadell’s technical clarity and assured use of color make these works exceptional examples of modern still life. The balance of cool and warm tones, paired with cropped compositions and strong lighting, creates a sense of immediacy. These pieces also highlight Cadell’s signature play between form and flatness, with areas of pure pigment and precise brushwork. They’re deceptively simple but rich with visual tension. 

Notable Context
These works belong to Cadell’s later still life period in the 1920s, influenced by French Post-Impressionism and early modernist aesthetics. At this time, Cadell was deeply engaged with the possibilities of color, abstraction, and spatial compression. His interiors and still lifes from this era reflect a dialogue with Matisse and the Fauvists, but with a distinctly Scottish sensibility—rooted in cool northern light and decorative restraint. The flattened perspective and vibrant palette speak to wider modernist concerns: clarity over realism, mood over narrative.

Cadell was also a member of the Scottish Colourists, a group whose work formed a bridge between traditional British painting and European modernism. These still lifes, with their crisp edges and rich surface textures, exemplify that unique blend of decorative sophistication and avant-garde innovation.

About the Artist
Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell (1883–1937) was a key figure in the Scottish Colourist movement. Born in Edinburgh and trained in Paris and Munich, Cadell was known for his interiors, portraits, and still lifes distinguished by their bold color and modernist flair. He brought a refined, cosmopolitan edge to early 20th-century Scottish painting. His work blends decorative elegance with formal experimentation—distilling everyday scenes into striking arrangements of line and hue. Today, Cadell is celebrated for his contributions to British modernism and his role in shaping a distinctly Scottish visual language in the modern age.