• J.W.F. Stephen, who formed a definitive collection of the etched work of Sydney Long. J.A.C. Stephen, the artist’s son, by descent. Purchased by the Australian National Gallery, from J.A.C. Stephen, Sydney, 1977.

In A windy day, the flutter of the central bird’s feathers forms the focus of the piece as they whip and rustle in the wind. This movement draws attention, simply and beautifully, to the delicacy of a bird that is often believed to be aggressive. The denser, black feathers on the breasts and underbellies of the birds comprise heavily etched lines. Forming great tangles of ink when printed on paper, these masses appear to weight the birds to the sheet, preventing them from being blown away altogether.

The landscape is composed from a series of fine traceries. It is an exquisite example of an environment delineated in the minimal manner of Rembrandt’s mid and late career landscape etchings — not only The goldweigher’s field of 1651, but more notably The omval (The ruin) of 1645. Unlike the Dutch master, however, whom the British and Australian painter–etchers so admired, Long has not wiped his plate clean. He has allowed a thin film of ink to remain, which, within the context of the work, suggests swathes of dust and debris billowing around the birds.

The magpie appeared frequently in Long’s work. Among many reasons, the artist employed the bird for the strong, visual impact of its pied colouration. Having also included it in The music lesson (cat 19),
he appreciated the complexities of its song, one described alternately as ‘calling’, ‘chiming’ and ‘lilting’ by the contemporaneous poet, Frank S. Williamson in ‘The magpie’s song’.

The magpie is a powerful symbol in art, which has at times been used to symbolise frailty, death and witchcraft. In this work, however, Long seems to consider the character of the birds as distinct from this litany of mythologies. Here they are proud, resolute creatures, within a bare and difficult landscape.

A copy of A windy day was first exhibited in 1927 at the ‘Seventh annual exhibition of the Australian Painter–Etchers’ Society’, Sydney, 30 May – 18 June (28). Another copy is held by the Art Gallery of New South Wales and one by the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

Elspeth Pitt

In A windy day, the flutter of the central bird’s feathers forms the focus of the piece as they whip and rustle in the wind. This movement draws attention, simply and beautifully, to the delicacy of a bird that is often believed to be aggressive. The denser, black feathers on the breasts and underbellies of the birds comprise heavily etched lines. Forming great tangles of ink when printed on paper, these masses appear to weight the birds to the sheet, preventing them from being blown away altogether.

The landscape is composed from a series of fine traceries. It is an exquisite example of an environment delineated in the minimal manner of Rembrandt’s mid and late career landscape etchings — not only The goldweigher’s field of 1651, but more notably The omval (The ruin) of 1645. Unlike the Dutch master, however, whom the British and Australian painter–etchers so admired, Long has not wiped his plate clean. He has allowed a thin film of ink to remain, which, within the context of the work, suggests swathes of dust and debris billowing around the birds.

The magpie appeared frequently in Long’s work. Among many reasons, the artist employed the bird for the strong, visual impact of its pied colouration. Having also included it in The music lesson (cat 19),
he appreciated the complexities of its song, one described alternately as ‘calling’, ‘chiming’ and ‘lilting’ by the contemporaneous poet, Frank S. Williamson in ‘The magpie’s song’.

The magpie is a powerful symbol in art, which has at times been used to symbolise frailty, death and witchcraft. In this work, however, Long seems to consider the character of the birds as distinct from this litany of mythologies. Here they are proud, resolute creatures, within a bare and difficult landscape.

A copy of A windy day was first exhibited in 1927 at the ‘Seventh annual exhibition of the Australian Painter–Etchers’ Society’, Sydney, 30 May – 18 June (28). Another copy is held by the Art Gallery of New South Wales and one by the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

Elspeth Pitt