NORMAN LINDSAY

Artarmon Galleries, Sydney (label on reverse)
The estate of a private collector, Melbourne; purchased from the above circa 1985 

Good condition. UV inspection reveals retouching across top margin and evidence of recent retouching lower centre and left.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In Serenity, the technical accomplishments of Norman Lindsay compete with the beauty of his model for admiration. When he painted this work, Lindsay, like all good painters, observed not only the integrity of the picture plane but also the full frontal nudity of his model, setting one creatively against the other to achieve his striking ends. First, he made the flatness of the picture surface yield to the illusion of the voluptuous form and sensuous curves, each echoing the other in gentle, rhythmic harmony. Even the curtain backdrop of flowers was engaged to follow suit in flattering the figure and bringing out its roundness. While providing a colourful contrast to the subtle flesh tones, it is intentionally and essentially flat and decorative compared with the figure. On the other side the dark textures offer an even more effective way to show off the figure's outline, encouraging the eye to play along the curves and embrace the form itself in the guise of the fall of light across the figure. These are but some of the skills employed by Lindsay to bring out the full beauty of his model.

The female nude figure was the central motif in Lindsay's art. His enjoyment of her is manifest in this oil and throughout his numerous other oils, etchings, drawings and watercolours. He loved to dress her up in period costumes - especially the classical garb of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and the eye-catching décolletés of the ladies of the court of the English Restoration. In buccaneer moments, she was a treasure far greater than coins and jewels, symbolising, as she did in so much of his art, freedom and anti-wowserism.

Her image was usually rather Junoesque, especially when he painted from his fair-haired wife Rose, his favourite model for over twenty-five years. Then, in the late 1930s, another beauty also appeared on Lindsay's canvases, the exotic, dark-haired Rita. Lindsay described her as having 'the loveliest breasts I ever painted from, and they drove me to despair. No crude combination of colour extracted from the earth can hope to capture the pearly shimmer of light on the youthful feminine breast.' ¹ If such things tantalised Lindsay, he knew the perfect way to convey that to his viewer. 

1. Joan Lindsay, Portrait of Norman Lindsay at Springwood, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1973, p. 118