Evening in London

Much of Cayley Robinson’s work is characterized by a sense of stillness and meditative calm; a quality which his friend and fellow artist, Cecil French, described as fusing the 'synthetic with the intimate' (The Studio, 1922). This large sheet may be grouped with a number of similar mature works depicting women in subtly lit interiors – together, but lost in individual thought. The strength, yet subtlety of line creates an effect which is almost abstract and depthless, with shape defining shape. Indeed, in many ways, his work seems native to the design principles at the heart of the Art Nouveau movement. Despite the strong design underpinning these works, they are able to convey a profound emotive charge.

The atmosphere - one of peace, but also of slightly troubling stasis - is typically ambiguous. Although there are some parallels to be drawn with religious subjects. Embedded in the seated figure’s brooch is a copy of Raphael’s Madonna of the Chair, a painting Cayley Robinson almost certainly encountered during his three years in Florence. Notably, this introduces the symbolism in the sitters’ outfits; the mother wearing the red often associated with Saint Anne whilst her daughter wears the blue of the Virgin Mary. Whether religious symbolism was the intention of the artist is not clear. What is clear is that the creation of an atmosphere allows his scenes to transcend the rituals of humble life into a beautiful and balanced space for contemplation.

Cecil French writing again in The Studio recalls his first encounter with Robinson's exhibits at the Society of British Artists: 'The potency of spell, the visionary strangeness, the almost desperate sincerity, of the new, mysterious, isolated artist brought to mind the first strenuous beginnings of the English Pre-Raphaelite group'.

*The figure and sculpture on the left of the composition are on a separate sheet which has been added to the main sheet of paper in an original arrangement by the artist.