Sidney Nolan

(1917-1992)

Ned Kelly, 1966

Footnotes

PROVENANCE
Marlborough Gallery, London
Private collection, London, acquired from the above in September 1968

With a career spanning six decades Nolan had an obsessive fascination for interpreting the folklore and iconography of Australian history. It was the infamous 19th Century bushranger, Ned Kelly that Nolan seemed to have a subconscious connection with that was often perceived as a reflection into his own life.

The 'first series' of Nolan's Ned Kelly paintings (dated between 1946-47) were given to the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra by Sunday Reed in 1977; renowned to this day as one of the greatest series of Australian paintings of the 20th century, and has become as iconic as Kelly himself. This first series depicts a narrative based sequence telling the story of the Kelly Gang from the shooting at Stringybark Creek, the siege at Glenrowan, to the trial and the subsequent hanging of Kelly.

Nolan continued to paint images of Kelly over the following decades, each time evolving to depict new meaning. The 1950s interpretations of Kelly took a more introverted abstract course. As the historical narrative recedes the solitary figure dominates, often alienated within the landscape delving into his psychological state. By the 1960s Nolan had reprised the narrative role and Kelly would be frequently displayed as an ambiguous figure consumed within a vast landscape.

The '60s saw an explosive surge of artistic creativity from Nolan. His reputation was already gaining traction on the international art scene with numerous exhibitions, retrospectives and biographies. He sustained this extraordinary artistic output by delving into other Australian folklore with series' dedicated to the Antarctic expedition of Shackleton, Scott and Mawson (see lot 36), Burke and Wills' navigation of Australia as well as continuing the ever evolving Ned Kelly theme.

The present work is a classic Kelly. Here, Ned is depicted with his distinguished black helmet against the horizon line. With a sense of isolation, his back faces towards the viewer riding into the distance with his rifle slung around his shoulders. The silhouetted configuration of Ned on his horse is very similar to that of Ned Kelly, 1946 (in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra), the most famous painting from the first series, although here his body is offset to the left of the composition leaning in towards a town, possibly Glenrowan, as if he was peering down on them.

Not seen since its original purchase from Marlborough Galleries in 1968, Ned Kelly, 1966 is a tribute to Nolan's everlasting fascination with the Australian anti-hero.