SIR DARYL LINDSAY ( 1889-1976)'In No Mans Land'signed and inscribed 'Daryl Lindsay, France (19)

SIR DARYL LINDSAY ( 1889-1976)

'In No Mans Land'

signed and inscribed 'Daryl Lindsay, France (19)17', recto;

a pencil sketch of a Soldier, verso

watercolour

9 1/2 x 6 1/2 in



This lot is also sold with a watercolour self-portrait of the artist inscribed 'To my Old Friend Vic (Allan). Drawn after an acute attack of jaundice...with every good wish from Daryl Lindsay, Melbourne Feb 9th (19)20'. (Three photos of the artist are inset verso together with a pen and ink sketch of a soldier in uniform)



Provenance: Victor P. Allan, Esq

Thence by family descent



Daryl Lindsay, prior to the Great War, had worked as a Jackaroo near Calbreni, New South Wales. On the outbreak of war in 1914 he (as did Victor Allan) enlisted in the Australian Army Service Corps. Later Lindsay worked as a driver in the Australian Army Service Corps in France serving there for almost 2 years. During that time he was encouraged to make drawings of life in the trenches. Allan clearly knew him well at this period, making references to him in his own war time diaries. (Australian Govt. Collection).

In 1918 Lindsay was posted to Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, Kent, as a specialist medical artist for the Australian Army. Here he met Henry Tonks who arranged for him to receive further training at the Slade School, London. Lindsay returned to Melbourne in 1919.

Later in life Lindsay became Curator of the National Gallery of Victoria, rising to be Director from 1942-1956. He was knighted in 1965 for 'services to art'.