Norman Lindsay Sculptures

Exploring many artistic genres Norman Lindsay also experimented with sculpture and created a number of significant pieces from 1920 through to 1940. His interested in sculpture was largely confined to this period and also in the final years of his life.

For Norman, his sculptures were his relaxation and his first piece was completed in the gardens of his new home in Springwood. It was quickly followed by a satyr pursuing a nymph at the front of his Springwood home. As with many of his works Rose was his model for the nymph.

During the 1920's the Greek Sphinx and Sirens featured in many of his works and dominated his sculpting. His first Sphinx was crafted in 1927 in conjunction with Rayner Hoff and was just small enough to decorate the radiator cap of Rose's 1926 Vauxhall. The silhouette of this Sphinx can be found on the title pages of many Norman Lindsay books.

All of Lindsay's sculptures, with the exception of the very last ones were crafted by applying wet cement onto a premade metal frame. His final sculpture was from a full size plasticine model. Norman Lindsay's second wife, Rose, was the model for the nymph in her husband's first sculpture.

Some years after Norman’s passing the cement on some of his early statues started to show signs of deterioration, the internal frames were rusting ways and the cement was becoming powdery. At this time The National Trust arranged a programme to replicate some of the sculptures in bronze and the originals were moved undercover.