Original artwork for the artists' book "The Vast Silence" based on the diary entries of Ludwig Leichhardt, 2012 / by Sigrid Noack

PXE 1755

fonds

2012

Graphic Materials, Drawings, Textual Records

9623539

1 volume in box (24 drawings and 36 pages of text) - colour, acrylic and casein - 29.5 x 34.5 cm

Sigrid Noack was born in Guben, Germany in 1947. It was created in 2012 after Noack was commissioned to mark the bicentenary year of Leichhardt’s arrival in Sydney on 14 February 1842. It is an interpretive work, based on Leichhardt’s diaries. The text in the book is presented in the original German with English parallel text, acknowledging both Noack and Leichhardt’s German nationality. The artists’ book was reproduced in an edition of 100 facsimiles, and four copies were brought to Australia in 2012 by the Australian Ambassador to Germany, Mr Peter Tesch.

Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt (1813-1848?) was a naturalist and explorer born in Prussia. He arrived in Sydney in February 1842 intent on exploring inland Australia.
In 1844-45 he led an expedition from Moreton Bay in Queensland to Port Essington in the Northern Territory, departing from the Darling Downs in October and reaching his destination in December 1845, covering almost 4,800 kilometres. With this expedition, Leichhardt achieved one of the longest journeys of overland exploration in Australia, and his accurate and detailed maps and records, assessments of good pastoral country, and botanical collections were widely revered. In 1848 he led his second attempt to cross the continent from east to west. After heading inland from the Darling Downs, the entire expedition of seven people disappeared without trace.

Source: Library correspondence file.

This is the original artists’ proof for "The Vast Silence" by German artist and author Sigrid Noack on the diary entries of notable German explorer Ludwig Leichhardt thus providing a contemporary visual interpretation of his journals that document the overland expedition from Moreton Bay in Queensland to Port Essington in the Northern Territory during 1844-1845. The artists’ book also focuses on Leichhardt’s impressions of Aboriginal people and tribes he encountered, as well as Australia’s unique wildlife, landscape and geology all framed through Leichhardt’s scientific observations.

The artist book contains 24 full page original colour paintings of acrylic and casein on cardboard or paper all inspired by descriptions of selected excerpts from Leichhardt's journal, also 1 portrait drawing of Ludwig Leichhardt. 36 pages of text of silkscreen on self or hand-tinted cardboard or paper. The text in the book, excerpts from Leichhardt's journal is presented in the original German with English parallel text. Front and back endpapers are of offset facsimile Leichhardt's handwriting. The cover is of Kahari-natural paper handmade from Nepal with an embellishment piece of palm fiber and the slipcase is of offset facsimile Leichhardt's handwriting.

The artist book also contains text `Uncommon trust, homage to Ludwig Leichhardt' by Ingeborg Arlt. The text is in both German and English.

Translation of the German text into English was done by Diana, Prinzessin von Sachsen (Princess of Saxony).

German, English

Copyright status:: In copyright - Life of artist plus 70 years
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Journal of an overland-expedition in Australia from Moreton Bay to Port Essington a distance of upwards of 3000 miles, during the years 1844-1845 / by Dr. Ludwid Leichhardt. Müchen, Germany : Königlich Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1848.

Most drawings are signed and dated: S. Noack, 2012.

Artists' book is signed: Sigrid Noack, 2012 on back page of acknowledgements.