Goats by Florence St John Cadell, Oil Painting

Charming early 20th century oil (1904?) on canvas framed painting of Two Goats in a Landscape. This is a most interesting early work by Florence St John Cadell. The painting has been signed by the artist and dated as (possibly) 1904.

Florence St John Cadell (14 August 1877, Cheltenham – 30 January 1966, Edinburgh) was a Scottish artist and patriot, involved in the early days of the Scottish National Party with her friend Wendy Wood. Her artworks are usually signed St John Cadell, disguising her femininity.

Florence began exhibiting in the Royal Scottish Academy in 1900 and continued until 1965. Early work focused on goats (which she kept at her house).

In the 1920s Florence and her elder sister, Agnes, jointly rebuilt Whinmill Brae House in Edinburgh as an artist’s studio. This still exists, in a hidden rural location on the Water of Leith between Donaldson's School and Dean Village. The pair spent some time in Crail in Fife and their work took on many of the picturesque themes of this fishing village. This period included short trips to other picturesque historic Fife villages, such as Culross.

From 1956, Florence’s close artist friend Wendy Wood came to live with her and share her Edinburgh studio at Whinmill Brae. The house is now split in two and addressed as 17 and 18 Coltbridge Gardens. They had a joint exhibition of art in 1963.

Florence died on 30 January 1966, aged 88, and is buried very close to her home, in Dean Cemetery. She is buried with both her parents, Agnes and her youngest sister, Muriel McCrae Cadell (1887–1931). The grave describes her as a Scottish Patriot and bears lines from verse 7 of Psalm 124 “even as a bird out of the fowler’s snare”: a reference perhaps to Florence escaping the troubles of life.

Florence’s portrait of Wendy Wood (named The Patriot) is held by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

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