Toilet – No. 231 of 550 – SOLD

Tiffany’s Research Notes on “Toilet”:

This limited edition facsimile etching is a faithful lithographic reproduction of the original Etching of “Toilet” that was originally created by Norman Lindsay in 1932. 

The title of this work takes its inspiration from the French “Toilet” which describes the genteel art of dressing and arranging the hair.

Feminine rites of beauty and private moments of vanity are themes common in several of Norman Lindsay’s works., Here the central female figure dresses for the day, admiring her reflection while powdering and scenting her body. She is attended by two exotic dark girls whose pure nudity and strong muscled bodies are in stark contrast to the frivolous white flounced skirt, feathered hat and paler skin of their mistress.

Although many of Norman Lindsay’s models during the 1930’s were of foreign origin, “Toilet” is one of only two of his etchings where he portrayed dark-skinned girls. This he does very effectively by contrasting the dark skin of the attendants to patches of pale background and then conversely the pale skin of the central figure with a darker section in the background.  This composition and contrast between black and white gives the etching a strong Art Deco feel.

Of significance is that original etchings of this work, which were created in 1932, rarely appear for sale and this coupled with its dramatic appearance, make it a very popular and sought after etching.

In the original etching, Norman also utilised the difficult intaglio medium of Aquatint, which only features in a small number of his etchings. The aquatint technique is seen in the spectacled background and the skin of the dark girls, where there a soft tonal effect, different to the line work in other parts of the work where Etching & Engraving techniques were used.

Original etchings of “Toilet” are held in Australia in the collections of the Castlemaine Art Gallery & Historical Museum, the National Trust Norman Lindsay Gallery & Museum in the Blue Mountains, and the Mitchell Library in Sydney.