To Be What's Missing

Dimensions (cm):
30cm wide x 30cm tall (unframed)
Dimensions (in):
12 inches wide x 12 inches tall (unframed)
Surface:
Canvas - 12oz Cotton Duck on sustainable hardwood stretcher bars, crafted from certified hardwood plantations.
Frame:
Chocolate timber - alternatives available on request
Medium:
Acrylic - ASTM 1 & 2
Finish:
Krylon Matt Finish
Signed:
Signed front and back with Certificate of Authenticity

A letter from Zelda Fitzgerald to F. Scott Fitzgerald, March 1930

F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald were more than just the dazzling darlings of the Jazz Age. He was the celebrated author of The Great Gatsby, and she, a writer, dancer, and icon of the era in her own right. Together, they came to symbolise the glamour and excess of 1920s America but behind the sparkle was a marriage marked by creative ambition, instability, and deep emotional dependence.

In 1930, Zelda was in a Swiss clinic receiving treatment for what would later be diagnosed as schizophrenia, while Scott remained in Paris. From her isolation, she wrote him this letter - vivid, impassioned, and full of longing. Her words burst with imagery and emotional urgency, capturing the volatility of their love and the weight of absence.

Though their relationship was fractured by illness, infidelity, and personal struggles, this letter remains a powerful fragment of their story. One where devotion, madness, and romance blur together.

 

Dearest,

I love you anyway — even if there isn’t any me or any love or even any life — I love you.

I look down the tracks and see you coming — and out of every haze and mist your darling rumpled trousers are hurrying to me.

Without you, dearest, I couldn’t see or hear or feel or think — or live.

I love you so — and I’m never in all our lives going to let us be apart another night.

It’s like begging for mercy of a storm or killing beauty or growing old without you.

I want to supplant your misery. I want to be what’s missing.

Zelda

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the specifications for To Be What's Missing?

To Be What's Missing measures 30cm wide by 30cm tall, unframed, part of the Parch collection. The piece is painted in acrylic on 12oz cotton duck canvas, stretched over sustainable hardwood bars from certified plantations. To Be What's Missing is presented in a chocolate timber frame and carries a matt archival finish to protect its surface from fading. It is signed on the front and back and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Keep it away from direct sunlight and high humidity to preserve its warm neutral, soft stone and parchment tones over time.

To Be What's Missing ships free anywhere in Australia. Buyers located overseas should contact Lee J Morgan Art directly to arrange international shipping. Each artwork, including To Be What's Missing, is framed after purchase rather than held ready-framed in stock, so allow a two week turnaround before dispatch. Factor this framing period into your delivery expectations alongside standard courier times. Get in touch if you have a deadline and we will do our best to help.

Yes, viewing To Be What's Missing in person can be arranged by appointment. Lee J Morgan's studio is located in northwestern Sydney, and appointments allow you to see the scale, texture and tonal depth of the piece before deciding. Seeing To Be What's Missing's layered warm neutral, soft stone and parchment tones in natural light gives a much clearer sense of how it will read on your own wall. Contact Lee J Morgan Art to arrange a suitable time and we will happily talk you through sizing and placement for your space.

To Be What's Missing is a compact 30cm square piece, so it suits smaller wall spaces such as a bedside wall, powder room or narrow hallway rather than standing alone as a hero piece. Its warm neutral, soft stone and parchment tones pair naturally with calm, grounded interiors and soft, low lighting. To Be What's Missing also works well grouped with other small pieces to build a layered gallery wall, or displayed alone on a floating shelf. The palette suits Japandi, coastal or soft contemporary interiors looking for a considered accent of colour.

To Be What's Missing's warm neutral, soft stone and parchment tones pair beautifully with warm timbers such as walnut or American oak, alongside brushed brass or aged bronze hardware that lifts the palette. A warm limestone or terracotta floor grounds the setting, while linen curtains in a soft neutral shade let the surface stand out without competing. A boucle cushion in a complementary tone adds a further layer of texture. To Be What's Missing also sits well beside blackbutt furniture or a dark timber console.