1924 Thea Proctor antique print, fan design, framed vintage art

Thea Proctor (1879–1966), The Masquerade — antique colour offset print after Proctor’s original fan design painted on silk, presented under glass with a cream mount in a substantial dark timber frame. A richly decorative theatrical scene, The Masquerade fills its fan-shaped format with costumed figures, harlequin patterns, palms and a striped pavilion, using Proctor’s characteristic elegance, rhythmic line and sophisticated colour.

42cm x 37cm frame

18cm x 11cm artwork 

Thea Proctor was a significant Australian modernist artist, illustrator, printmaker and designer whose work helped define the visual culture of Sydney between the wars. Born in Armidale, New South Wales, in 1879, she studied in Sydney before moving to London in 1903, where she became part of the Chelsea artistic circle and exhibited widely. After returning to Australia in 1921, Proctor became an influential advocate for modern design and decorative art, producing stylish images of fashionable society, theatre and contemporary life. She taught, wrote on art and design, contributed to publications including The Home, and was closely associated with fellow modernists including Margaret Preston. Her distinctive combination of flattened form, elegant contour and decorative colour has made her one of the most recognisable figures in Australian interwar modernism.