NORMAN LINDSAY REFERENCE
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Norman Alfred Williams Lindsay (1879-1969) is arguably one of Australia's greatest artists. He worked in all media — etching, pencil, charcoal, pen and ink, wash, woodcut, lithograph, watercolour and oil as well as producing many sculptures, both indoor and for the garden. There are more books on Norman Lindsay, about Norman Lindsay or illustrated by Norman Lindsay than any other Australian artist.

Norman Lindsay is well represented in the National Gallery of Australia as well as every State Gallery plus many regional galleries in Australia. In November 2002 the magnificent oil painting Spring's Innocence was purchased by the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne and is now on public view.

Norman Lindsay is also well represented by either visual art, illustrated books or literature in numerous overseas galleries, libraries and public institutions.
1879 Born 22 February at Creswick, Victoria.
1885 Enrolled at Creswick State School.
1889 Received first fee for a drawing, a prize for Head of a Dog.
1894 Enrolled at Creswick Grammar School. Editor and chief contributor of the school magazine, the Boomerang.
1895 Left school in December.
1896 Moved to Melbourne to live with brother Lionel. Illustrator for the weekly, Hawklet.
1897 The brothers lived at Charterisville, near Heidelberg. Lionel started to teach Norman to etch. First attempt at etching, (Pirates' Captives).
c1898 Attended life drawing classes in Melbourne organised by George Coates. Read Nietzsche's Anti-Christ and Zarathustra.
1900 Married Catherine (Katie) Parkinson on 23 May. Began series of pen drawings to illustrate the Decameron. Son Jack born 28 December.
1901 Collaborated with John Longstaff on invitation and program for the opening of first Federal Parliament. Moved to Sydney to work for the Bulletin. Rented a house at Lavender Bay, first of several rented houses in the suburbs, and studio in Rowe Street. Joined by Katie and Jack.
1902 Met Rose Soady who began as his model.
1903 Katie went to Melbourne for the birth of son Raymond. Moved studio to Bond Street. Joined Royal Art Society of New South Wales.
1904 Exhibited pen and ink drawing Pollice Verso at the Royal Art Society provoking first controversy over work.
1906 Living at Lavender Bay. Son Philip born. Began series of 100 illustrations for Memoirs of Casanova.
1907 Joined Society of Artists. Pollice Verso purchased by the National Gallery of Victoria for 150 guineas, highest price paid to that time for an Australian pen drawing. First issue of the Lone Hand published 1 May.
1909 Living at Willoughby with Rose. Held successful exhibitions in Sydney and Melbourne. Sailed for Europe 4 October taking crated Casanova drawings. Visited Pompeii where he began sketches for the Satyricon. Arrived London in November and took a studio at Hampstead. Katie and the children moved to Brisbane.
1910 Rose arrived in London in March. Visit to Paris failed to find a publisher for the Memoirs but Ralph Straus published the Satyricon of Petronius with 100 illustrations. Spent weeks sketching ship models at South Kensington Science Museum.
1911 Arrived in Melbourne 2 January with Rose. Returned to Sydney and resumed work for the Bulletin and Lone Hand. Hospitalised for three months with pleurisy. Convalesced for six months with Rose in rented houses at Leura and Faulconbridge in the Blue Mountains. Completed ship model of Cook's Endeavour which was purchased by the National Gallery of Victoria.
1912 Rose purchased a house in Faulconbridge from Francis Foy which became the family home (known as Springwood). Exhibited pen and ink drawing The Crucified Venus causing controversy. Built lower studio by cutting stone from rock face.
1913 Began outdoor sculpture. Father, Dr Lindsay, staying.
1914 Brother Daryl staying. First war cartoon, The War God of Europe, published in the Bulletin 13 August. Built swimming pool at Springwood.
1915 Built model of medieval Paris as background for series illustrations to the poems of Villon.
1917 Brother Reg killed on the Somme. First rift with Lionel. Published first etching, The Fan.
1918 Divorced by Katie.
1919 First one-man show of etchings in Sydney and Melbourne. Built a second studio at Springwood, converting the first for etching.
1920 Married Rose. Daughter Jane born.
1921 Joined Painter-Etchers Society.
1922 Daughter Helen (Honey) born. Rift with Lionel became permanent.
1923 Represented at the Society of Artists Exhibition in London where subject matter of his works aroused controversy. Critic Sir William Orpen derided Norman's works. Ceased working for the Bulletin.
1924 Eleven works exhibited during Artists Week in Adelaide provoked a furore. Nellie Melba visited Springwood.
1925 Sons Jack, Ray and Phil now living in Sydney, visited frequently. Fanfrolico Press launched with Jack and John Kirtley. Will Dyson staying.
1926 Jack moved to London. Built courtyard at back of house at Springwood.
1927 Designed sphinx radiator cap in collaboration with sculptor Raynor Hoff which became Springwood logo. Built wisteria walk.
1928 Phil moved to London. Brian Penton staying.
1930 Etching Self-Portrait caused police raid on publishing house, volumes confiscated. furore with attendant publicity.
1931 Visited America with Rose, leaving 23 July. Wrote and illustrated articles for American publications.
1932 Sailed for England in January with Rose. With Brian Penton and P.R. ('Inky') Stephensen worked to establish a publishing company for Australian books. Returned to Australia with Rose in April. Resumed work for the Bulletin. Inky Stephensen arrived in September to collaborate in launching Endeavour Press for which Norman designed a ship symbol.
1933 Marriage to Rose foundering. Divided time between Springwood and Sydney where he stayed at the Hotel Wentworth.
1934 Left Springwood and moved into a studio at 12 Bridge Street, Sydney. Began seriously painting in oils.
1938 Published last etching, Visitors to Hell.
1940 Rose sailed for America with honey and her husband Bruce Glad taking sixteen crates of Norman's drawings, etchings and paintings. Retained Bridge Street studio to paint from the model but returned to live at Springwood with daughter Jane.
1941 Almost all of Norman's works taken to America destroyed by a fire on a train in Pennsylvania.
1947 Honey went to live in America in December.
1949 Jane acquired the etching studio at Springwood and built a house around it.
1956 Gave up lease on the Bridge Street studio.
1958 Son Philip died. Exhibition of two hundred etchings exhibited at David Jones Art Gallery in Sydney, 12-25 November.
1960 Son Raymond died.
1968 Built last fountain, his only work in cast cement.
1969 Donated collection of work to the University of Melbourne School of Architecture in January. Died in hospital on 21 November.
1973 National Trust Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum at Faulconbridge opened to the public on 25 February.
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