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

Baldessin’s work explored themes of existentialism, sexuality, boundaries, and fractured identity. Figures recur throughout his practice, twisting into contorted shapes, their faces often concealed or veiled in shadow. Mystery permeates his imagery. In Night Personages, a double-projected, dreamlike figure stretches through a window, embodying longing and disquiet rather than realism.

Technically, the work demonstrates Baldessin’s virtuosity in printmaking. It combines etching and aquatint, printed in black ink from a single plate, with layered colour created through multiple stencils. This interplay of techniques heightens the drama of the imagery, contrasting velvety depths with luminous tonal passages.

Baldessin has been honoured with retrospective exhibitions at Heide Museum of Modern Art and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and exhibited alongside Brett Whiteley at the National Gallery of Victoria. His works are represented in all major regional and many state collections, as well as internationally at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. He is perhaps best known for his sumptuous brass pears, which stand sentinel at the National Gallery of Australia.

Other impressions of this print are held in the permanent collection of the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (Accession no: 2.0651).

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 in print. Encompassing this technical and expressive mastery, Night Personages represents a compelling acquisition for collectors of important works on paper and modern Australian modernism.

George BALDESSIN (1939 - 1978)
'Night Personages' 1970
etching, aquatint and coloured stencil on paper
Edition of 25
Image Size: 50 x 42 cm
Dimensions: 75 x 65 x 3 cm
Signed: 'Night Personages' Ed 25 for Lloyd Capps with best wishes George Baldessin 70
Comes with Letter of Provenance

Related works:
Other impressions of this print are held in the permanent collection of Queensland Art Gallery Gallery of Modern Art Accession no: 2.0651.

Condition: Good: This original graphic is in good condition for its age. The sheet presents well overall, with no significant structural issues, tears, or losses. The image retains strong integrity. The paper, however, may benefit from light conservation treatment to address its pH balance, ensuring long-term stability and preservation.

(c) George Baldessin / Copyright Agency