Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Pirates (1931)

Pirates (1931)

Linocuts printed from multiple blocks.

Published in Sydney by Frank C Johnson, edn 40/50

X769.29/1A2

James Flett was a painter, graphic artist and writer. Inspired by Norman Lindsay, he painted many watercolours of pirates and produced the sumptuous book, Pirates introduced by Blamire Young, in an edition of 50 with 6 full page colour linocuts. They were the largest colour linocuts produced by an artist in Australia.

Introduction

By Blamire Young

"This is the Pirate Book of James Flett, and in the matter of Pirates James Flett speaks with authority. His Buccaneers are hall-marked, guaranteed to slit the throats of any merchantmen who carry bullion upon the high seas. Their manners are shocking, but they frequent hazardous roadsteads surrounded by steep and rocky hills of impossible beauty: and they inhabit wooden ships with carven prows and silken sails that lift their silhouettes in tropic dawns against the skies of dream, and for this we love them. They belong to the youth of the world, these coloursome rogues, and few of us have succeeded in quite outgrowing our early joy in their misdeeds. They sail in the end to the Harbour of Lost Ships, where the rigging slowly rots, the sails drop one by one, and the stout oak beams fall into the musty hold, but while their moment lasts they are the first citizens of the Land of High Romance".

James Flett

James Flett was a painter, graphic artist and writer. Inspired by Norman Lindsay, he painted many watercolours of pirates and produced the sumptuous book, Pirates introduced by Blamire Young, in an edition of 50 with 6 full page colour linocuts. They were the largest colour linocuts produced by an artist in Australia.