MAGICIAN AND SKULL, nd
Watercolour. 9¾ x 7¾in. (25.2 x 20.2cm.)
Provenance
National Trust bequest
TGA 929/4/17/6.
A magician in his skullcap and purple robe, flecked with yellow hexagonal patches. The fire in his taloned right hand and the icicles in his left make reference to elemental fire and water. A figure, nude and probably female, in the Buddhist lotus seat position appears to emanate from his wispy beard. The magician and the seated figure both appear to emanate from the crown of the skull. The imagery is largely obscure, but may be a reflection on the condensation of matter and spirit.
A date in the 1940s seems likely.