A Christian Waller rarity- “ Perhaps it Was the Dark Held Out His Hand, and Morning Came and Stole His Hand Away”, 1931
Christian Waller (1894–1954)
Christian Waller was one of Australia’s most fascinating female artists of the early 20th century. Married to fellow artist Napier Waller, she was a gifted printmaker, illustrator, muralist, and stained-glass artist with a distinctive visionary style drawing on Art Nouveau and Symbolism.
This very rare linocut — Perhaps it Was the Dark Held Out His Hand, and Morning Came and Stole His Hand Away — was produced for the Geelong Book Nook publication Manuscript in 1931, in very limited numbers, and has rarely been offered for sale. Published at 19.5 × 10 cm, it exemplifies Waller’s mastery of the print medium: the ability to suggest depth, atmosphere, and mystery through stark black-and-white forms.
