Desert Island – Original Etching – No 35 of 36 (1933) – VERY RARE – SOLD

Tiffany’s Research Notes on “Desert Island”:

“Desert Island” is one Norman Lindsay’s rarest and most fascinating etchings.

This etching is wonderful example of how Norman Lindsay’s active imagination influenced the themes of his work.

The subjects in Lindsay’s art often included fanciful and exotic settings and unusual and strange beings that took the shape of interwoven human and animal forms, which is displayed in the reptilian humanoids in “Desert Island”.

“Desert Island” probably had its genesis in Norman’s childhood reading of “Coral Island”, one of the first books he ever read, which increased his curiosity for far-off lands.  The central figure in this unusual etching is Polynesian.

Emphasising the intrigue of this piece is Lindsay’s use of a striking and almost hypnotic portrayal of dark and light tones in the etching, making it eye-catching and fascinating to view and explore.

Original etchings of “Desert Island”, such as this piece, are exceedingly rare because the original edition published in 1933 was released in a very small estimated number of 36, much less than Norman’s usual edition number of 55.

To have an original etching of “Desert Island” available for sale is incredibly rare and special because they hardly ever surface for sale, and the offering of this piece is a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire this mysterious and unforgettable image by Norman Lindsay.