Lot 14

Paper is in good condition with no signs of deterioration. Well framed with a fresh mount. Overall framed size: 86 x 82cm.


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Private collection, Melbourne
Thence by descent

Norman Lindsay remains one of the most prolific, critiqued, and collected artists of the fin de siècle in Australia. His romantic, dream-like, and often erotic artworks cemented his place as one of the leading figures of the bohemian subculture prevalent into the 1920s.

Lindsay's penchant for fantasy took hold during his younger years. Sadly, until he was 6 years old his mother insisted on him being confined indoors due to a rare blood disorder. Whilst being forced to refrain from the outside world, Lindsay delved deeply into his own world where he taught himself to draw from his imagination. This reached new heights when, during the late 1890s, Ernest Moffitt introduced him to the Greek poets and the art of Pre-Raphaelite painter, Frederick Sandys. Suddenly, Lindsay was inspired with a new form of self-expression discovered. He traded Christianity and Puritan values prescribed by his mother, for Nietzsche, philosophy and Bacchanalia. He led, from then, a fairly bohemian life visiting the theatre and performance halls frequently.

The world of performance permits one a sense of escapism, especially desired during the First World War and the years ensuing closely after. Anything can happen on the stage - it is a dreamscape where one can pretend to be someone else, free from the confines of societal expectations. For Lindsay, this was of particular interest. In his etching Self Portrait 1930, we see the artist in torment, hunched over in restrictive dark clothing, grasping his etching needle whilst chained to the earth. The figures engulf him from all sides, with the central male satyr and female free and naked, seemingly unaware of Lindsay's presence as they embrace above him. Thought to represent the effects of the limiting structures of the establishment, society, and critics, the work gives us a visual insight into Lindsay's own personal battles and why these dreamscapes held such a pivotal place within his art practice.

In The Performance 1921, the sense of theatre is palpable. We, the audience, are left wondering if the performance is about to commence or has already unfolded behind the curtain. Many of Lindsay's watercolours of this period were inspired by the theatre, especially the ballet, with its captivating movements and grand elegance. Lindsay depicts the figures in procession down the staircase, and continuing into the background masked by a radiant light. This figural composition was similarly explored in other works of the period, including the etching Virginity. Lindsay pays great attention to detail in the costuming, ornate adornments, and even the carpet; however, his biggest focus is the figures themselves. The classic Lindsay female nude is voluptuous, sensual, and delicate. In The Performance 1921, they do not make eye contact with the audience, alluding to the pleasure of secrecy in their behaviour. Their nudity, too, implies a freedom, liberated from the restraints of society. There are figures kissing in the shadows, surrounded by temptation, with a touch of the supernatural prevalent in the foreground with the satyr. The use of colour and line shows a considered restraint for Lindsay in this work, a sign of an artist who has refined their practice with confidence. The Performance 1921 is grand in scale, subject, and handling, reminding us why Norman Lindsay continues to mesmerise his audience and take us into our own dreamscape.

Olivia Fuller
Head of Art