Primary Artist

Lionel Lindsay (1874–1961)

Title

King Billy

Reference

Mendelssohn (1987), 167

Date made

1918

Place made

Warrane / Sydney, New South Wales, Australia View on map Close map

Work number

Queale bequest (1982), 457

Category

Print

Print type

intaglio

Technique

etching, roulette and burnishing, printed in brown ink with plate-tone, from one plate

Text printed from matrix

Printed facsimile signature and date lower left within image, 'B.E. MINNS 1918'. Printed text on king-plate, 'KING BILLY / LAFF / AN THE WORLD / LAFFS WITH YOU / MINE TINKIT'.

Matrix size

22.6 x 16.0 cm (plate-mark)

Edition information

1st state, proofs only; 2nd state, edition of 50, plus proofs

Subject categories

Aboriginal Australians: Portrait, male | Australia, Art style: Painter-etchers 1860s-1938 | Collection: The Alan Queale collection of Lionel Lindsay etchings and wood-engravings, acquired 1982.

Subject description

Portrait of Aboriginal man, "King Billy", wearing top hat and engraved breast-plate.

Country of context

Australia

Legacy id

93029

Creators

LINDSAY, Lionel | (1874–1961) Australian | Male | artist

Minns, B.E. | (1864–1937) Australian | Male | print after

Last Updated

20 Nov 2025