A nice naked lady or two!

A few weeks ago, I dropped in to the Lindsay Gallery to sit and think, to look and to contemplate.

In front of me and all around were the fruits of the fantastic Lindsay family, Norman’s lush nudes, a cabinet full of Ruby’s art nouveau drawings and designs, and fine examples of the draughtmanship and print-making of Percy, Lionel and Daryl.

Impressive. And I began to wonder how little turn-of-the-century Creswick coped with all this, especially with what reportedly were the wild goings-on at the Lindsay household. I know Creswick are, rightly, proud of the Lindsay family now.

One of Norman Lindsay’s paintings is called “Benediction” (which means blessing) so that led into this light-hearted poem as my introduction to my tenure as Poet in Residence at the Art Gallery of Ballarat.

Benediction

(Benediction n. The act of blessing or invoking a blessing . . .)

What a blessing they were to Norman

How these belles in full flesh were his joy

With just a gesture at narrative function

A satyr or two and a boy.

His models all glowing and healthy

With no trace of any fig leaf

‘No nudes is good nudes’ was clearly

Not part of Lindsay’s belief.

In the family too - art nouveau Ruby

Rose with her dark Spanish pouts

And Percy and Lionel and Darryl

With landscapes and townscapes and boats.

What would they have wondered in Creswick

Of the fey Lindsay clan and their ways

How the strangest of creatures came calling

And the wild goings-on of their days.

But men downing pots in the barrooms

Though they would not have said it aloud

Felt the envy behind the guffawing

They mocked but were secretly proud.

And all the dear ladies of Creswick

With their doilies and fine Wedgwood cups

Could barely suppress a wee frisson

Of excitement behind their tut-tuts.

Oh, what would we give to be part of

That artistic Bohemian crew

Endowed with a richness of talent

And a nice naked lady or two!

-Barry Breen, March 2013