The Poet

	Artist: Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell
	Title: The Poet
	Year: 1912
	Medium: oil on canvas
	Dimensions:
	Suggested topic: Portraiture
	Source: RSA Diploma Collection
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Description: Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell belonged to a group of artists known as the Scottish Colourists, who were influenced by French art and were particularly noted for their bold use of colour.Cadell's favourite subjects were landscapes (especially the West Highlands and Iona), still lifes, elegant interiors and equally elegant figures. This painting of an unidentified young man, called simply The Poet, shows just such an elegant figure, a cheerful young man in a black overcoat lounging on a couch. There is a confident air about the man, and he seems to be enjoying life in a comfortable place with plenty of books to read. However, this painting was completed in 1912, only two years before the outbreak of World War One. It is possible that this optimistic young man fought in the trenches, and may even have been killed in the War. This possibility casts a shadow over the painting, and creates a poignant sense of what his destiny might have been.The Poet is unusual for its relatively restrained palette. However, Cadell has used the medium of oil paint in a really lively way, with very strong brushstrokes and areas of thick impasto. The tonal balance of the painting is very wide, with a fairly even split between the deepest black and very light whites and creams. Cadell has used very economical brush work to express shapes in this portrait. For example the armchair in the background is rendered in one great slashing stroke which changes direction to signify the shape of the chair. Also, the outline of the man's coat does not undulate gently - it is almost cut into the canvas with sharp angular strokes.Some simple horizontals are used to define the backdrop for the irregular shape of the figure. The viewer's eye is drawn relentlessly upwards to the face. This is the focus for the whole image; and other details become secondary as the eye is attracted back to the man's amused expression.