Truly a master of black and white illustration, Norman Lindsay was a student of art since childhood. A hoarder of blank paper, a perfectionist, and a student of the female anatomy, Lindsay taught himself drawing as a school boy drawing feverishly on paper scraps sourced from text books and local storefronts. Noted for his personal eccentricities, Lindsay’s formative years were spent studying the pen-and-ink techniques of Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) and his Swiss contemporary Urs Graf (1485-1527). Others whose work he admired included Daniel Vierge, Heinrich Kley, Aubrey Beardsley, and Phil May.

 

Over a period of more the seventy years, Lindsay produced an enormous volume of work. His etchings place him amongst the world’s most highly regarding exponents of the medium; his pen drawings are masterpieces of draughtmanship and control; and his watercolors display extraordinary technical virtuosity. He painted in oil, produced woodcuts, carved frames and adorned his home with sculpture. He illustrated numerous books and for many years was a principal cartoonist for the Bulletin.