Still life with Fan and Picture

Cadell explored the genre of the still life in the pre-war period, and the present lot is a fine example of his orchestration of still life objects, to which he was to return for inspiration time and again. On occasion he liked to depict a 'picture within a picture' and this stylish design has an Oriental feel, combining teaware with a fan and ebonised frame within a flattened, decorative composition.

Cadell developed a palette based on a range of whites, creams and beiges, a prominent use of black - influenced by the French artist Éduoard Manet - with highlights of bright colour, and a technique of feathery, loaded brushstrokes (see A. Strang, F.C.B. Cadell, Edinburgh, 2011, p. 17). In the present work, the palette is dominated by white but the green of the bowl, the blue teaware and red in the picture thus sing out within their essentially black and white environment. Still life with Fan and Picture shows perfectly his masterful treatment of the medium; using thick impasto with a free and spontaneous handling, generous brushstrokes applied with great economy he creates a vibrant, glowing image of the fan against the rich, creamy background.