The Cellist

Drummond was a student of Walter Sickert, himself a keen sketcher of music halls. Unlike many of Sickert's other followers and friends, Drummond was not an inhabitant of the Camden Town area, preferring to live and work further south in Chelsea. He shared his studio with his wife and fellow artist, Zina Ogilvie (1887-1931), who was a talented musician and concert pianist, performing at the Wigmore Hall. Malcolm and Zina shared a passion for art and music and worked together in Malcolm's studio as well as performing musical soirées together at home, with Malcolm accompanying Zina on violin.

Drummond often chose to portray his subjects from ambitious and unusual angles, and his paintings are characterised by simplified structures and forms. Here we observe his distinctive use of bright decorative colour, applied thickly but in clearly defined patches, and with a strong sense of design.

W.B.