George Baldessin is one of Australia’s preeminent artists. During his lifetime, he was considered on par with Brett Whiteley, with both artists eschewing the dominant mode of abstraction in favour of lyrical, figurative imagery.

Baldessin’s work explored existentialism, sexuality, boundaries, and fractured identity. Figures recur throughout his practice, twisting into contorted shapes, their faces often concealed or veiled in shadow. A sense of mystery permeates his work, underscoring The Bather I—a stylised portrait of a lone bather, her water-slicked hair obscuring much of her face. The figure folds inward upon herself, a tangle of limbs and sly, watchful eyes.

Baldessin has been honoured with retrospective exhibitions at Heide Museum of Modern Art, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and, alongside Brett Whiteley, at the National Gallery of Victoria. His work is represented in all regional and most state collections, as well as in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Perhaps, however, he is best known for his sumptuous brass pears, which stand sentinel at the National Gallery of Australia. The Bather I is a museum-quality work, with an impression held in the NGA collection. It was also exhibited at the National Gallery of Victoria in 2018 for Baldessin/Whiteley: Parallel Visions, curated by Sasha Grishin.

Baldessin sought to express human sensibility through the vulnerability of his figures, while preserving their dignity. Distortion and drama were his essential tools, capturing tension and dynamism within his prints. Exemplifying this technical and expressive power, The Bather I represents a compelling acquisition for collectors of significant works on paper and modern Australian art.

George BALDESSIN (1939 - 1978)
'The Bather I' 1965
etching and aquatint on paper
Edition of 10
Image Size: 30 x 30 cm
Dimensions: 62 x 55 cm
Signed: Unsigned. Inscribed in margin: 1965 'Bather' -10 and embossed GB. Australian Galleries sticker verso AG 100957
Comes with Letter of Provenance
Marginalia behind the mount
Condition: Very Good

(c) George Baldessin / Copyright Agency