Interior with a Chair

Interior with a chair belongs to series of pictures of interiors painted by Cadell in the early part of the second decade of the twentieth century, a study for which rather than standing alone amongst the artist's work, fits neatly into a group of paintings in which Cadell investigated the bold contrasts of colour and the vibrancy of shimmering light. In 1913 Cadell moved to his new studio at 130 George Street in Edinburgh and it was here that he painted some of his greatest interiors including Afternoon and the present painting Interior with a chair. Cadell moved into George Street early in 1913 and his home and studio were admired for their tidiness and elegant dcor which was in contrast to the studios of his contempories, including George Leslie Hunter whose studio was invariably shambolic. The period of 1912 to around 1915 was one of great activity for the newly formed Society of Eight, of which Cadell was a leading member along with John Lavery and Patrick William Adam.