Leda – No. 313 of 550 – RESERVED

Tiffany’s Research Notes on “Leda”:

Norman Lindsay had a passion for Greek mythology and this facsimile etching (which is faithfully reproduced from the original etching released in 1929), portrays the myth of Leda & the Swan, a story that had always fascinated Lindsay.

The statue in the background portrays the myth and Norman probably drew inspiration from his own statues that he created in the grounds of his home Springwood.

Greek mythology tells that Leda was the original nymph-goddess who was the daughter of the King of Aetolia. Swans were sacred to Leda because the V-formation of their flight was a female symbol and in mid-summer they flew north to unknown breeding grounds, taking the dead king’s soul with them.

Swans are also significant because the King of the Gods Zeus coupled with Leda in the form of a swan and from an egg hatched Leda’s daughter Helen – later to become Helen of Troy.  Lindsay named his second daughter Helen.

First exhibited in 1929 at Melbourne’s Fine Art Society’s Gallery and Sydney’s Macquarie Galleries, Leda was originally priced at 10 guineas.  Original etchings of Leda are held at the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery and the Queensland Art Gallery.