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Collection

An image of Robbed by Sidney Nolan

Sidney Nolan

(Australia, England 22 Apr 1917–28 Nov 1992)

Title
Robbed
Year
(1947)
Media category
Painting
Materials used
Ripolin enamel on hardboard
Dimensions

91.5 x 122.0cm board; 102.0 x 132.2 x 2.0cm frame

Signature & date
Not signed. Not dated.
Credit
Purchased with funds provided by the Nelson Meers Foundation 2004
Accession number
1.2004
Copyright
© The Trustees of the Sidney Nolan Trust/Bridgeman Art Library
Location
20th & 21st c Australian art
Further information

'Robbed' was created at a key moment in Sidney Nolan’s early career. Dating from the artist’s important 1946–47 Ned Kelly series, it is one of several paintings that were edited out of the final core of works chosen to represent the Kelly
narrative.

Painted when a more lyrical mood had evolved in the series, 'Robbed' is bathed in a soft light, evoking a dreamlike quality – a portent of perhaps of impending violence. The naked figures may be humiliated police, stripped of their uniforms and their horses stolen – possibly the two whom the Kelly gang ambushed at Jerilderie. Alternatively, 'Robbed' may be loosely based on earlier incidents in Kelly’s career and intended for the beginning of the series, to portray the germination of the bushranger’s notoriety.

Bibliography (34)

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 2004 2004, Sydney, 2004, 19 (colour illus.).

Christie's London, Topographical pictures, London, 1995, 142 (illus.), 143. lot no. 152, 'Robbed', 1947, ripolin enamel on board, sold by order of The Trustees of S.C. Mason, deceased

Kenneth Clark, Sidney Nolan: retrospective exhibition 1973, 'Introduction', pg. 5-7, Dublin, 1973, 15. cat.no. 20, 'Robbed', 1947, ripolin, 36 x 47½in/ 91 x 121cm

Sir Kenneth Clark and Artur Lundkvist, Sidney Nolan, 'Introduktion' av Kenneth Clark, pg. 6-7, Stockholm, 1976. cat.no. 18, 'Robbed', 1947, Rånade, 91 x 122, Tillhör Mrs C Nolan

Sir Kenneth Clark, Sidney Nolan 1970, Folkestone, 1970. cat.no. 17; titled 'Robbed', 1947, 36" x 48", ripolin, Private collection

Michael Gawenda (Editor in Chief), Age 22 Dec 2004, 'AGNSW's new Nolan room', pg. 6, Melbourne, 22 Dec 2004, 6.

Our Art Critic [Paul Haefliger], Sydney Morning Herald 01 Jan 1949, 'Events in Art: 1948 Review', Sydney, 01 Jan 1949, (illus.).

Our Art Critic [Paul Haefliger]., The Sydney Morning Herald 17 Mar 1948, 'Imaginative art at Easter show', Sydney, 17 Mar 1948. NOTE: Review of Easter group exhibition at Macquarie Galleries held in March/April 1948.

Peter Hill, The Sydney Morning Herald 15 Jan 2005-16 Jan 2005, 'Mix 'n' match', pg. 18, Sydney, 15 Jan 2005-16 Jan 2005, 18 (colour illus.). Spectrum supplement of Saturday's edition.

Ava Hubble, The Sydney Morning Herald 17 Jul 1995, 'Box Office' edited, pg. 14, Sydney, 17 Jul 1995, 14. 'On the Rialto'.

Terry Ingram, The Weekend Australian financial review 22 Jan 2005-23 Jan 2005, 'Nolan emerges from Kelly's shadow', pg. 40, Sydney, 22 Jan 2005-23 Jan 2005, 40.

Nicholas Isherwood, Nolan's Nolans: a reputation reassessed 1997, London, 1997. cat.no. 30 is an earlier (1946), smaller version of the AGNSW painting

Bernd Krimmel, Sidney Nolan: Gemälde und Druckgraphik 1971, 'Zu Bildern Sidney Nolans - such is life', pg. 5-24, Darmstadt, 1971, 34. cat.no. 12, 'Robbed', 1947, 91 x 121cm, Ripolin

Colin MacInnes', Sidney Nolan 1957, 'Sidney Nolan: The search for an Australian Myth', pg. 9-17, London, 1957, 18. cat.no. 2, 'Robbed', 1947, ripolin on masonite, 36 x 48", Lent by the artist

Macquarie Galleries, Easter 1948 1948, Sydney, 1948. cat.no. 15; titled 'Robbed'; priced 40 guineas

David Marr (Editor), Patrick White: letters, Milsons Point, 1994, 138. Letter from Patrick White to Sidney Nolan, dated 7/6/1958, mentioning the painting 'Robbed'.

Alistair McAlpine, The Sydney Morning Herald 20 Jun 1995, 'A rare chance for a patriotic tycoon to make his mark', pg. 14, Sydney, 20 Jun 1995, 14 (illus.).

Alistair McAlpine, The Spectator 10 Jun 1995, 'The heart that counts', pg. 50, London, 10 Jun 1995, 50.

Tatlock Miller., Sun 17 Mar 1948, 'Art show is vital, animated', Sydney, 17 Mar 1948. NOTE: Review of Easter group exhibition at Macquarie Galleries held in March/April 1948.

Hal Missingham., Sidney Nolan. Retrospective exhibition. Paintings from 1937 to 1967 1967, 'Introduction', Domain, 1967. cat.no. 35, 'Robbed', 1947, 36 x 48, ripolin on board

Giucio Montagna (Editor), La Fiamma 22 Dec 2004, 'Sydney [sic] Nolan at the Art Gallery of NSW', pg. 18, Leichhardt, 22 Dec 2004, 18.

Clare Morgan., The Sydney Morning Herald 21 Dec 2004, 'Gallery sells off the family silver and strikes gold', Sydney, 21 Dec 2004.

Barry Pearce, Sidney Nolan 2007, 'Nolan's Parallel Universe', pg. 17-65, Sydney, 2007, 132 (colour illus.), 233. cat.no. 42

Barry Pearce., Foundation Newsletter #4 Jun 2004, 'The legacy of vision: Nolan and the Nelson Meers Foundation', Domain, Jun 2004, front page (colour illus.).

Krystyna Pollar., The Australian 19 Dec 2004, 'Nolan the nation's "greatest painter''', Surry Hills, 19 Dec 2004. This article also appeared in Melbourne's 'Herald Sun' and 'Daily telegraph', Adelaide's 'Advertiser' and Brisbane's 'Courier mail', on 19 December 2004.

John Reed, Art and Australia [vol. 5, no. 2] Sep 1967, 'Nolan's Kelly paintings', pg. 443-446, Sydney, Sep 1967, 451. Related work, smaller in scale, is illustrated in colour.

John Russell., Nolan 1961, 'Sidney Nolan', Newcastle upon Tyne, 1961, (illus.). cat.no. 36

Andrew Sayers, The Ned Kelly Paintings: Nolan at Heide 1946-47 1997, Melbourne, 1997, 44 (colour illus.). figure no. 21; Private Collection, London (not in exhibition)

Sebastian Smee'., The Australian 21 Dec 2004, 'Gallery makes room for foundation's gift of Nolans', Surry Hills, 21 Dec 2004.

Sotheby's Australia, The collection of Sir David Davies: Australian art 1940s to 1980s, Melbourne, 5 May 2003, Melbourne, 2003, 58, 59 (colour illus.). lot no. 48, 'Robbed', ripolin enamel on composition board, inscribed with title and dated 1947 on the reverse; inscribed 'Cynthia Nolan' on the reverse, 90 by 121 cm, Estimate: $350,000 - $550,000

Jill Sykes (Editor), Look Mar 2005, 'Doing justice to Nolan', pg. 8, Newtown, Mar 2005, 8.

Jill Sykes, Look Oct 2004, 'Nolan's Australia', pg. 28-31, Newtown, Oct 2004, 30 (colour illus.), 31.

Unknown (Editor), Sun-Herald 05 Nov 1997, Sydney, 05 Nov 1997, 17.

Unknown (Editor), Sun-Herald 05 Nov 1995, 'Art treasures for NSW', pg. 17, Sydney, 05 Nov 1995, 17.

Exhibition history (9)

Easter 1948, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney, 17 Mar 1948–05 Apr 1948

Sidney Nolan (1957), Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, Jun 1957–Jul 1957

Nolan (1961):

Sidney Nolan retrospective exhibition. Paintings from 1937 to 1967:

Sidney Nolan: retrospective exhibition (1970):

Sidney Nolan: Gemälde und Druckgraphik (1971), Kunsthalle Darmstadt, 15 May 1971–27 Jun 1971

Sidney Nolan: retrospective exhibition (1973), Royal Dublin Society, Dublin, 19 Jun 1973–05 Jul 1973

Sidney Nolan (1976), Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Jan 1976–Mar 1976

Sidney Nolan (2007-2008):