Model Wife: My Life with Norman Lindsay

Traces Rose through her early modelling days, her meeting with Norman Lindsay, their life together in Sydney and Springwood and their travels to England and America. Apart from the intimate details of Rose’s life with Norman, this book is peppered with the artistic and literary figures of the day: among others Dame Nellie Melba, Anna Pavlova, Fritz Kreisler, Julian Ashton, Elioth Gruner, Hans Heysen, Miles Franklin, H. G. Wells, Fanny Hurst, Edna Ferber and Frank Lloyd Wright, Rose Lindsay.
Rose emerged from humble beginnings to become a woman of style and substance with enormous strength of character. She was model and wife of Norman Lindsay (one of Australia’s most controversial and best known artists), master printmaker, businesswoman and mother of two, Rose Lindsay should rightfully be regarded as one of the outstanding female personalities of twentieth century Australia.
Rose Lindsay (1885–1978), née Rosa Soady, was an Australian artist’s model, author, and printmaker.
She was introduced to Norman Lindsay in 1902 by Julian Rossi Ashton, and began modeling for Lindsay that same year.[1][3] She became his principal model and later his lover, and after his marriage ended she joined him in London in 1910.[1] She was Lindsay’s business manager and most recognizable model, as well as being the printer for most of his etchings.[3] In 1913 a pen-and-ink drawing she had posed for called Crucified Venus was shown at the Society of Artists’ exhibition in Melbourne, but the Melbourne committee removed it from public view due to scandal over its eroticism.[1][4] However, Julian Rossi Ashton, who was the president of the Society of Artists, said he would withdraw all the New South Wales paintings from the exhibit unless Crucified Venus was shown again, and it was put back up within the week.[1] Rose also modeled for Julian Rossi Ashton, Harold Cazneaux, Sydney Long, Dattilo Rubbo, and Sydney Ure Smith.[1] In 1926 Rayner Hoff sculpted a statue of her.[1] Pictures of her are in Australia’s National Portrait Gallery.[5] 275 p. : illus., ports. ; 23 cm. #050222