Born in 1914, La Dell studied at the Sheffield School of Art and later under John Nash at the Royal College of Art. There he became head of printmaking until his dead in 1970. His medium of choice was lithography and he was commissioned for several significant public projects. His artwork can be found in major collections in the UK and further afield. His prints are very much in line with other British Prints from that period; good sized, cheerful, colourful prints of typical British subjects like town and village scenes, colleges, public schools and sporting events. In general his choice of colours tends to be a bit more toned down compared to some of his contemporaries but they are no less humorous and uplifting.
This lithograph of Merchiston Castle, a boarding school in Edinburgh is a great example of his work. It probably dates from the mid to late 1960s and was printed in an edition of 75. The scene is dominated by parkland with large trees in the foreground and extensive school buildings in the background. The trees are very loosely drawn and create for a great sense of a breezy autumn afternoon, reinforced by the autumnal colours. Lithography really helps here to create that sense of movement
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