Oscar Cahén

Oscar Cahén
Life & Work by Jaleen Grove
Making Fine Art
In contrast to his illustration work, Cahén made sketches before embarking on a
painting. He usually stuck to traditional media, such as oil on canvas or Masonite and
watercolour, pastel, or ink on paper, though he sometimes painted with aniline dyes.
Aniline dye is made from petroleum by-products and came in hues far more vibrant than
any other art material of Cahén’s day—even neon pink. Unfortunately, many of these
dyes have faded in his works.
LEFT: Oscar Cahén, Still-life, 1950, pastel on illustration board, 71 x 91.3 cm, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa RIGHT: Oscar Cahén, Untitled (427), c. 1952, reverse
drawing from lithography stone, ink, and pastel, 71.1 x 50.8 cm, private collection
Although he may have begun with sketches, Cahén built up his oil paintings in
several passes on different days; he even went back into canvases he had formerly
considered finished and had already signed—as we can tell by comparing the finished
state of Untitled (221), 1953, how it appears in period photographs of the interior of
Cahén’s home.
Cahén apparently made few lithographs.
He did, however, often ink up a stone, place
paper on it lightly, and then rub it and draw on it
with a sharp object. When the paper was lifted
off, it picked up the ink and the stone’s
pleasingly soft, dappled texture. The scored lines
came out black. Drawing on the paper with the
pointed tool left no visible mark, meaning Cahén
could not be exactly sure what he was doing.
This exercise would have countered the slick
facility that he was ever-wary of slipping into.
Cahén experimented with ceramics,
probably with Blue Mountain Pottery founders
Oscar Cahén, plate, c. 1950–56, glazed
terracotta, approx. 20 x 20 x 0.9 cm, The Cahén
Archives, Toronto
Oscar Cahén, Untitled (1141), c. 1947–50, wood,
approx. 15 x 17 x 12 cm, The Cahén Archives,
Toronto
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