Top 10 Interesting Facts about Norman Lindsay

Norman Lindsay in 1931. Photo by Cazneaux, Harold. Wikimedia Commons.

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Norman Lindsay

Norman Alfred William Lindsay was an Australian artist and novelist. He is famous for his etchings, cartoons, sculpting, watercolors, etc. 

He was born on the 22nd of February 1879 in Creswick, Victoria Australia. 

He was a Vocal nationalist whose work attracted controversy as they were claimed erotic with pagan elements anti-Christian, degenerate, and anti-social.

He worked at the Bulletin he worked for the institution. He wrote the memorable classic work called The Magic Pudding which is regarded outstanding by Australian Children’s Literature.

He is known for his Larrikin attitudes and personal libertine philosophy. He has a museum and art gallery created in his honor maintained by the National Trust of Australia.

Here are 10 Interesting facts about Norman Lindsay:

1. He created political cartoons

Norman Lindsay was a great artist. He created numerous works of fact and fiction. He has worked in various institutions one of which was the Sydney Bulletin in 1901.

Here he worked as the chief cartoonist after he left sports illustrating in Melbourne. Lindsay was unable to showcase his imaginative prowess with his work due to the Bulletin’s strict editorial guidelines.

His works were exquisite with painstaking attention to detail yet he often took them home with him away from editorial instruction to complete as he desired.

He made political cartoons which are drawings that are made for the purpose of conveying editorial commentary on current events, politics, and politicians.

His employment was later terminated in 1958 by the editor in office at the time after Bulletin began to fail on the back of its historically strong and unpopular political views because of his association with it.

2. Some of his children were also involved in the writing and art industry

Norman was born in Creswick town which is west-central Victoria, Australia. He was the fifth of ten children born to Robert and Jane Lindsay. 

Robert Charles William Alexander Lindsay was an Anglo-Irish surgeon and Jane Elizabeth was the daughter of Reverend Thomas Williams of the Wesleven Missionary from Creswick.

He married Catherine Agatha Parkinson on the 23rd of May 1900 and had three sons Jack, Raymond, and Philip before divorcing in 1918.

He later married Rose Soady who was a recognized model She was his business manager and printer for most of his etchings.

They went ahead and had two daughters Jane and Helen Lindsay respectively. Jack and Philip went into the industry like their father.

Jack became a prolific publisher, activist, translator, and writer while Philip became a writer of historical novels and worked in the film industry.

3. Some of his work was turned into films

Three of Norman Lindsay’s novels were adapted to become films. The first was Lindsay’s novel he published in 1934 The Cautionary Armorist in. 

In 1953 the novel was based on the British Film Our Girl Friday where a woman is stranded on an island with a newsman, a professor, and an Irish stoker.

The second adaptation was done in 1969 by the Australian-British co-production group of his novel Age of consent which he published in 1938.

The film was also named as the novel. The third instance was the film Sirens which pays homage to Lindsay played by Sam Neill as a fictionalized version filmed at his Falconbridge home.

The film was also notably Elle Macpherson’s debut in the film industry that helped launch her career.

4. He has a museum gallery named after him

Norman Lindsay Gallery in Faulconbridge. Photo by Poyt448 Peter Woodard. Wikimedia Commons.

 The Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum was created from the time period of 1898 to 1913.

It is also known as Maryville and springwood. Francis Foy, Patrick Ryan, Rose Soady, and Norman Lindsay were the initial founders of the museum.

The Museum was Lindsay’s heritage-listed former residence and farm that was converted to an art gallery and tourist attraction honoring art, his life, and works.

The property is now owned by the National Trust of Australia which was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 1st March 2002.

The Museum houses his works from his etchings, oil sculptures, and watercolor among others that appreciate in value over time.

5. He created controversial sensual book illustrations and art

Norman was a pioneer of his time becoming one of the first people to take art to a whole new level.

Though he was met with criticism and discord it did not hinder him from his work. He created controversial artwork and illustrations that were frank and sumptuous.

He used to hide his work in crates in the U.S. to protect them from the war but was sadly discovered when the train caught fire.

His work was impounded and later burned as pornography by an American official. This did not deter Norman who told his older brother, Lionel, he would still do more

6. He was an art critic

Norman Lindsay in 1920. Photo by Unknown author. Wikimedia Commons.

An art critic is an individual who specialized in evaluating various forms of art to rate their worth and value.

An Art critic analyzes and interprets the work to critique its excellence writing reviews for the general public or a more specialized audience.

The reviews are then published in Newspapers, exhibition brochures, magazines, and many more.

Lindsay critiqued other artists’ work as he was a profound recognized professional in his field. He gave respected reviews since he had a long history of art and understood the profession.

7. Five of his novels were adapted for television

Lindsay’s Novels were turned into adaptations for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

In 1972 Five of his novels which were Halfway to Anywhere, Redhead, Curate in Bohemia, The Cousin from Fiji, and Dust or Polish.

However, some of the program segments were erased as part of an ill-considered economic drive during the period from the late 1960s to the late 1970s after a search was conducted over the television database.

Some quantities of film and video footage were recovered after the closure of ABC Sydney’s Gore Hill studios. Sadly, no more footage was recovered for the films to date

8. He was a sculptor

A female nude sculpture by Norman. Photo by Guyking at English Wikipedia. Wikimedia Commons.

Sculpting is a form of artistic expression that individuals create solid objects that present an idea out of materials like wood and stone.

Norman created exquisite artworks out of clay and copper a type of metal. He displayed his pieces in a few galleries some of which are housed in the gallery and museum created at his former home and farm.

9. He was an amateur boxer

Amateur boxing is a type of boxing practiced that individuals practice for the love of the sports scoring as many points as possible.

The main objective of Professional boxing is to knock out the other opponent and played for money.

Amateur boxing is played at the collegiate level, Olympic games, and commonwealth games. Norman practiced amateur boxing as a sport for the love of it while his profession was art.

10. He was buried in his hometown

Artist Norman Lindsay as a young man. Photo by Rembrandt Studios. Wikimedia Commons.

Norman died at the age of 90 at his home in Springwood. He died on the 21st of November 1929 three weeks after collapsing at his home and was rushed to the hospital at Springwood Convalescent Hospital.

He went for special medical examination but returned to Springwood Hospital after his insistence. The graphic artist and writer was buried after the funeral service at the springwood Methodist church in the springwood cemetery.