Sidney Nolan

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

Title

First-class marksman

Other titles:

First-class marksmen
The Marksman

Alternative title:

Tiratore di classe Tireur de premiere classe

Year

1946

Media category

Painting

Materials used

Ripolin enamel on hardboard

Dimensions

90.2 x 121.2cm board

Signature & date

Signed and dated l.r. corner, pencil "12.12.46/ N.".

Credit

Purchased with funds provided by the Gleeson O'Keefe Foundation 2010

Accession number

62.2010

Copyright

Location

20th & 21st c Australian art

Further information

'First-class marksman' shows the isolated figure of Ned Kelly in the solid black armour that is Nolan’s most inventive pictorial device, its flat abstracted shape incongruously placed against a landscape of lyrical delicacy. The title refers to an incident which took place in Victoria’s Wombat Ranges, when Kelly and his gang were practising their marksmanship, firing hundreds of rounds at surrounding trees from a bullet-proof hide-out.

Nolan made many paintings of the outlaw Kelly between 1946 and 1947 at Heide, home of patrons John and Sunday Reed. This was the only panel in the series not painted on the Heide dining table, but at the house of Russian expatriate artist Danila Vassilieff at Warrandyte, where Nolan was caretaker for two months. Its informal swift and transparent rendering is a precursor to subsequent series based on outback Queensland, such as 'Pretty Polly mine 1948'.

Bibliography (45)

‘Guided tours: highlights of the Australian collection’, pg. 52., Look Aug 2012, Aug 2012, 52 (colour illus.). Article featured in ‘What’s on elsewhere’.

‘Barry Pearce’s next book-call it “segueing with intent”’ by Jill Sykes, pg. 28-29., Look Mar 2012, Mar 2012, 28.

Jaynie Anderson (Editor), The Cambridge companion to Australian Art, Port Melbourne, 2011, 290, 306.

Foundation Newsletter #17 Dec 2010, Dec 2010, (colour illus.). Photo has Lou Klepac standing beside painting.

'The refined politics of fine arts' by Michaela Boland, pg. 12., The Weekend Australian 27 Nov 2010-28 Nov 2010, 27 Nov 2010-28 Nov 2010, 12.

Look Sep 2010, Sep 2010, 6 (colour illus.). Menzies Auctioneers advertisement

'Spreading the art: Speeding collection images across the world' by Michelle Andringa, pg. 12-13., Look Aug 2010, Aug 2010, 12.

'Bullseye!', pg. 15., Look Jun 2010, Jun 2010, 11, 15 (colour illus.).

'Top Shelf', pg. 50., 50 something: National Seniors Association Jun 2010-Jul 2010, Jun 2010-Jul 2010, 50 (colour illus.).

'Another Kelly replaces picture that went north' by Michaela Boland, pg. 5., The Weekend Australian 01 May 2010-02 May 2010, 01 May 2010-02 May 2010, 5 (colour illus.).

'Victorians let Kelly cross border' by Michaela Boland, pg. 10., The Weekend Australian 10 Apr 2010-11 Apr 2010, 10 Apr 2010-11 Apr 2010, 10 (colour illus.).

'AGNSW reveals mystery buyer of Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly' by Staff writers., The Australian 31 Mar 2010, 31 Mar 2010, (colour illus.).

'Kelly Hangs Again, This Time in Sydney', The Epoch Times 31 Mar 2010, 31 Mar 2010.

'Nolan's "First Class Marksman" hangs in Sydney' by Brendan Trembath., The World Today with Eleanor Hall 31 Mar 2010, 31 Mar 2010. Interview features Edmund Capon, Eleanor Hall, Virginia Judge, Lou Klepac and Brendan Trembath.

'Record $5.4m for Nolan' by Adam Fulton., The Sydney Morning Herald 26 Mar 2010, 26 Mar 2010, (colour illus.).

'Sidney Nolan's marksman hits a record price' by Michaela Boland and James Madden., The Weekend Australian 26 Mar 2010, 26 Mar 2010.

'Sydney Nolan painting of Ned Kelly expected to set Australian record at auction' by Peter Coster., Sun-Herald 16 Feb 2010, 16 Feb 2010, (colour illus.).

Menzies Art Brands Pty Ltd [Sydney] (Australia) (Author), Menzies, Sydney: Australian, Aboriginal & International Fine Art 25 March 2010, Sydney, 2010, front cover (colour illus.), 88, 89 (colour illus.), 90, 91 (colour illus.), 94. lot no. 51; titled 'First-Class Marksman

Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Frances Lindsay (Australia, b.1946) (Author), Lou Klepac (Australia; Croatia, b.1936) (Author), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Author), Sidney Nolan, Sydney, 2007, 114, 118 (colour illus.), 231, 242. cat.no. 29; Collection of The Vizard Foundation, Melbourne

T.G. Rosenthal (Author), Sidney Nolan, London, 2002, 62, 68 (colour illus.). Reproduced by kind permission of The Vizard Foundation, Melbourne

Andrew Sayers (Australia, b.1957) (Author), Murray Bail (Australia, b.1941) (Author), Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly: the Ned Kelly paintings in the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 2002, 11, 16-19, 30, 31 (colour illus.), 75.

Warwick Reeder (Australia) (Author), Heide I: A guide book, Bulleen, 2002, 10.

NGV on Russell (Australia, estab. 1999, closed 2002) (Author), Common Wealth: A tribute to federation, Melbourne, 2001.

Andrew Sayers (Australia, b.1957) (Author), The Ned Kelly Paintings: Nolan at Heide 1946-47, Melbourne, 1997, 14, 25, 30, 49 (colour illus.), 77 (illus.). cat.no. 36

Deutscher Fine Art (Melbourne) (Author), Great Australian paintings from Melbourne Private Collections: Royal Children's Hospital Foundation Fundraiser Exhibition, Melbourne, 1997, 45 (illus.). cat.no. 24

Andrew Sayers (Australia, b.1957) (Author), Sidney Nolan: the Ned Kelly story, New York, 1994, 28, 36 (illus.).

'The larrikin genius dies', by Justin Coomber, pg. 4-5., Daily telegraph mirror 30 Nov 1992, 30 Nov 1992, 4, 5 (illus.).

'Artistic knight cherished his working-class origins', pg. 9., Courier Mail 30 Nov 1992, 30 Nov 1992, 9.

Helen Rayment (Australia, b.1966) (Author), Australian modernism: the complexity and the diversity, North Caulfield, 1992, 5, 23 (colour illus.). cat.no. 28

'Nolan's journey to paradise' by H. Brown, pg. 8-24., The Weekend Australian 21 Oct 1989-22 Oct 1989, 21 Oct 1989-22 Oct 1989, 23.

Sotheby's Australia (Australia), Sotheby's Melbourne: Fine Australian paintings (14th August 1989), Melbourne, 1989, front cover (colour illus., detail), (colour illus.). lot no. 296A

'Melbourne gives an Olympian salute to Nolan' by Sandra McGrath, pg. 78., The Bulletin 16 Jun 1987, 16 Jun 1987, 78 (colour illus.).

Jane Clark (Australia) (Author), Sidney Nolan - landscapes and legends: a retrospective exhibition 1937 - 1987, Sydney, 1987, front cover (colour illus., detail), 76, 77 (colour illus.).

Charles Osborne (Australia) (Author), Sidney Nolan: paintings, drawings and theatre design, Chester, 1983, (colour illus.). cat.no. 4; titled 'First Class Marksman'; not paginated

Sidney Nolan oeuvres d'un grand peintre australien a l'ambassade d'australie, Paris, 1978. cat.no. 4; titled 'The Marksman'

'Sidney Nolan in Moderna Museet Stockholm' by W. Krüger., Art international [vol. 20, nos. 4-5] Apr 1976-May 1976, Apr 1976-May 1976, (illus.).

Sidney Nolan 1976, 1976. cat.no. 12; titled 'The marksman'

Elwyn Lynn (Australia, b.1917, d.1997) (Author), Sidney Nolan: myth and imagery, London, 1967, 9.

Robert Melville (Author), Ned Kelly: 27 paintings by Sidney Nolan, London, 1964, 10 (colour illus.), 46. plate no. 6

John Reed (Australia, b.1901, d.1981) (Author), The 'Kelly' paintings of Sidney Nolan 1946-47, Melbourne, Jun 1956. cat.no. 6; titled 'First-class marksmen'

'Art in Australia' by Professor Joseph Burke, pg. 10., The Sydney Morning Herald 04 Feb 1954, 04 Feb 1954, 10. General reference

'Ned Kelly Hangs Again', A.M.: the Australian monthly Feb 1950, Feb 1950, (illus.).

Jean Cassou (France) (Author), Una serie di quadri ad olio del pittore australiano Sidney Nolan gentilmente concessi da Mrs.e Mr. John Reed di Melbourne, Rome, 1950. cat.no. 6; titled 'Tiratore di classe'

Jean Cassou (France) (Author), Un groupe d'oeuvres du peintree Australien Sidney Nolan, Paris, 1949. cat.no. 6; titled 'Tireur de premiere classe'

John Reed (Australia, b.1901, d.1981) (Author), The 'Kelly' paintings of Sidney Nolan 1946-47, Melbourne, Apr 1948. cat.no. 6; titled 'First-class marksman'

Exhibition history (15)

The 'Kelly' paintings of Sidney Nolan 1946-1947 (1948), Velasquez Gallery, Apr 1948 -.

Sidney Nolan: paintings, drawings and theatre design (1983), Grosvenor Museum, Chester, 22 Jul 1983–18 Sep 1983.

Sidney Nolan: landscapes and legends a retrospective exhibition 1937 - 1987, National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], 03 Jun 1987–26 Jul 1987.

Sidney Nolan: landscapes and legends a retrospective exhibition 1937 - 1987, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 11 Aug 1987–27 Sep 1987.

Sidney Nolan: landscapes and legends a retrospective exhibition 1937 - 1987, Art Gallery of Western Australia, 21 Oct 1987–29 Nov 1987.

Sidney Nolan: landscapes and legends a retrospective exhibition 1937 - 1987, Art Gallery of South Australia, 15 Dec 1987–31 Jan 1988.

Sotheby's Melbourne: Fine Australian paintings - 14th August 1989, Sotheby's Gallery Melbourne, Aug 1989 -.

Sidney Nolan: The Ned Kelly story (1994), Metropolitan Museum of Art, 19 Apr 1994–04 Sep 1994.

Great Australian paintings from Melbourne Private Collections: Royal Children's Hospital Foundation Fundraiser Exhibition (1997), Deutscher Fine Art (Melbourne), 30 May 1997–15 Jun 1997.

Common Wealth: A tribute to federation (2001-2002), NGV on Russell, 11 Apr 2001–19 Jan 2002.

Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly Series (New Zealand Arts Festival) 2002, City Gallery Wellington, 23 Feb 2002–19 May 2002.

Sidney Nolan (2007-2008), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 03 Nov 2007–03 Feb 2008.

Sidney Nolan (2007-2008), Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, 22 Feb 2008–18 May 2008.

Sidney Nolan (2007-2008), Queensland Art Gallery, 06 Jun 2008–31 Aug 2008.

Australian Collection Focus: some recent acquisitions: - Nolan, Boyd, Fairweather, Rees (2010), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 16 Oct 2010–09 Jan 2011.