CHARLES JAMES McCALL R.O.I.,
N.E.A.C. (1907 – 1989)
“The Fairy Story”
Oil Painting on Canvas
Signed & dated 1951 IMAGE
Charles James McCall was a painter, mainly in oil, especially of
small, intimate interiors and street scenes in London and France. His work has a strong sense of colour,
painterliness and an awareness of French influences such as Vuillard. Initially educated in Edinburgh, McCall at first worked for
a law firm, studying in the evenings at Edinburgh College of Art. At 23 he won a scholarship to Edinburgh College, sponsored by his teacher
D.M. Sutherland, obtaining his diploma in two years instead of
the usual four. Other teachers were
David Foggie and S.J. Peploe. Scholarships in the mid-1930s took McCall
extensively around Europe and for much of 1937 he studied in Paris under Othon Friesz at the
Atelier Colarossi. On his return he was
awarded a two year fellowship in Edinburgh. After commissioned service in the
Royal Engineers in World War II, mainly
working on camouflage, McCall resumed painting and gradually built up an
impressive series of one-man shows in England, North America, Canada and Ireland with venues including the
Leicester Galleries, Waddington Gallery, Dublin and Belgrave Gallery. He also exhibited at the Royal Academy; the
Royal Scottish Academy; the New English Art Club; The Royal Society of Oil
Painters; the London Group; Duveen-Gragan Galleries, New York; F.B.A. Gallery,
London; Ash Barn Gallery, Petersfield;
Klinkhoff Gallery, Montreal; and
Nevill Gallery, Canterbury and Bath; He was elected Member of the Royal Society
of Oil Painters in 1950 and Member of the New English Art Club in 1957. Christies held a large retrospective in 1995.
Work by Charles James McCall is in the
permanent collections of Herts Education Authority and official purchases
include the Contemporary Arts Society, Scottish Modern Arts Association, the
Scottish Art Council, the Ministry of Works, Paisley Gallery, Maidstone Gallery
and Edinburgh City Art Gallery. His work has been
reproduced in the Studio and Artist magazines. He lived in London.
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