Norman Lindsay - Strange Seas, watercolour; Maids of Atlantis, oil on canvas
Norman Alfred Williams Lindsay (1879 – 1969) was a versatile and prolific Australian artist, working as a painter, cartoonist, illustrator, etcher, sculptor and author. Lindsay was masterful with his drawing and painting technique, but his talent was often overshadowed by the controversy created by his works depicting paganism, eroticism, and attacking society’s attitudes and morals. Lindsay was born in Creswick, Victoria and moved with his family to Melbourne. He tried attending drawing classes at the National Gallery School but quit after a few months. He began drawing for newspapers and worked as a ghost illustrator for his brother Lionel. Norman later attended life drawing classes and Lionel taught him how to etch. Norman focused on light and colour as he developed proficiency in watercolour and oils. Lindsay moved to New South Wales in 1901 where he worked for many years as the chief cartoonist for the Sydney Bulletin, his works often commenting on politics and society. His first novel was published in 1913. Lindsay became the highest paid Australian artist of is time.