Title
First-class marksman
1946
Artist
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Details
- Other Titles
- First-class marksmen
The Marksman
Tireur de première classe - Alternative title
- Tiratore di classe Tireur de premiere classe
- Date
- 1946
- Media category
- Painting
- Materials used
- Ripolin enamel and alkyd on hardboard
- Dimensions
- 90.2 x 121.2 cm 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
- Location
- South Building, ground level, 20th-century galleries
- Accession number
- 62.2010
- Copyright
- © The Trustees of the Sidney Nolan Trust/DACS. Copyright Agency
- Artist information
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Sidney Nolan
Works in the collection
- Share
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About
Sir Sidney Nolan was one of Australia's most respected and internationally celebrated painters, and one of its most significant modernist artists. His concept of the Australian landscape is interwoven with its history, legends and the psyche of its inhabitants, producing works which are often surreal in character.
'First-class marksman' shows the isolated figure of infamous bushranger 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.
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Video
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Audio
First-class marksman - Sidney Nolan 3:38
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Exhibition history
Shown in 12 exhibitions
The 'Kelly' paintings of Sidney Nolan 1946-1947 (1948), Velasquez Gallery, Melbourne, Apr 1948 -
Un groupe d'oeuvres du peintre Australien Sidney Nolan, Maison de L'Unesco, Paris, Dec 1949–Unknown
Sidney Nolan: paintings, drawings and theatre design (1983), Grosvenor Museum, Chester, Chester, 22 Jul 1983–18 Sep 1983
Sidney Nolan: landscapes and legends a retrospective exhibition 1937 - 1987, National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], Melbourne, 03 Jun 1987–26 Jul 1987
Sidney Nolan: landscapes and legends a retrospective exhibition 1937 - 1987, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 11 Aug 1987–27 Sep 1987
Sidney Nolan: landscapes and legends a retrospective exhibition 1937 - 1987, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, 21 Oct 1987–29 Nov 1987
Sidney Nolan: landscapes and legends a retrospective exhibition 1937 - 1987, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 15 Dec 1987–31 Jan 1988
Sotheby's Melbourne: Fine Australian paintings - 14th August 1989, Sotheby's Gallery Melbourne, Melbourne, Aug 1989 -
Sidney Nolan: The Ned Kelly story (1994), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 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), Malvern, 30 May 1997–15 Jun 1997
Common Wealth: A tribute to federation (2001-2002), NGV on Russell, Melbourne, 11 Apr 2001–19 Jan 2002
Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly Series (New Zealand Arts Festival) 2002, City Gallery Wellington, Wellington, 23 Feb 2002–19 May 2002
Sidney Nolan (2007-2008), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 03 Nov 2007–03 Feb 2008
Sidney Nolan (2007-2008), Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Melbourne, 22 Feb 2008–18 May 2008
Sidney Nolan (2007-2008), Queensland Art Gallery, South Brisbane, 06 Jun 2008–31 Aug 2008
Australian Collection Focus: some recent acquisitions: - Nolan, Boyd, Fairweather, Rees (2010), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 16 Oct 2010–09 Jan 2011
20th-Century galleries, ground level (rehang), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 20 Aug 2022–2023
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Bibliography
Referenced in 51 publications
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Michelle Andringa, Look, 'Spreading the art: Speeding collection images across the world', pg. 12-13, Sydney, Aug 2010, 12.
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Murray Bail, Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly: the Ned Kelly paintings in the National Gallery of Australia, 'Ned Kelly, Artist', pg. 1-2, Canberra, 2002, 11, 16-19, 30, 31 (colour illus.), 75.
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Louise Bellamy., smh.com.au, 'Brett Whiteley's oil threatens record', Sydney, n.pag. (colour illus.). viewed 20.10.2013, http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/brett-whiteleys-oil-threatens-record-20131029-2we3c.html
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Michaela Boland, The Weekend Australian, 'Another Kelly replaces picture that went north', pg. 5, Canberra, 01 May 2010-02 May 2010, 5 (colour illus.).
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Michaela Boland, The Weekend Australian, 'The refined politics of fine arts', pg. 12, Canberra, 27 Nov 2010-28 Nov 2010, 12.
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Michaela Boland, The Weekend Australian, 'Victorians let Kelly cross border', pg. 10, Canberra, 10 Apr 2010-11 Apr 2010, 10 (colour illus.).
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Michaela Boland and James Madden., The Weekend Australian, 'Sidney Nolan's marksman hits a record price', Canberra, 26 Mar 2010.
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H. Brown, The Weekend Australian, 'Nolan's journey to paradise', pg. 8-24, Sydney, 21 Oct 1989-22 Oct 1989, 23.
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Professor Joseph Burke, The Sydney Morning Herald, 'Art in Australia', pg. 10, Sydney, 04 Feb 1954, 10. General reference
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Wally Caruana and Jane Clark, The Cambridge companion to Australian Art, 'Buying and selling Australian art: a brief historical survey', pg. 290-306, Port Melbourne, 2011, 290, 306.
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Jean Cassou, Un groupe d'oeuvres du peintree Australien Sidney Nolan, Paris, 1949. cat.no. 6; titled 'Tireur de premiere classe'
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Jean Cassou, 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'
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Jane Clark, Sidney Nolan - landscapes and legends: a retrospective exhibition 1937 - 1987, Sydney, 1987, front cover (colour illus., detail), 76, 77 (colour illus.).
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Sir Kenneth Clark and Artur Lundkvist, Sidney Nolan, Stockholm, 1976. cat.no. 12; titled 'The marksman'
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Justin Coomber, Daily telegraph mirror, 'The larrikin genius dies', pg. 4-5, Sydney, 30 Nov 1992, 4, 5 (illus.).
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Peter Coster., Sun-Herald, 'Sydney Nolan painting of Ned Kelly expected to set Australian record at auction', Sydney, 16 Feb 2010, (colour illus.).
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Deutscher Fine Art (Melbourne), Great Australian paintings from Melbourne Private Collections: Royal Children's Hospital Foundation Fundraiser Exhibition, Melbourne, 1997, 45 (illus.). cat.no. 24
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Paula Dredge, Sidney Nolan: The Artist’s Materials, Los Angeles, 2020, x (colour illus.) (detail), 38 (colour illus.), 39, 44, 51, 54-55, 104, 110, 121, 132 (index). fig. 30
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Paula Dredge, Look, 'On target', Sydney, Mar 2017-Apr 2017, 32-33 (colour illus'.
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Adam Fulton., The Sydney Morning Herald, 'Record $5.4m for Nolan', Sydney, 26 Mar 2010, (colour illus.).
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W. Krüger., Art international [vol. 20, nos. 4-5], 'Sidney Nolan in Moderna Museet Stockholm', Switzerland, Apr 1976-May 1976, (illus.).
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Elwyn Lynn, Sidney Nolan: myth and imagery, London, 1967, 9.
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John McDonald, Bonhams magazine, 'Outlaw art', London, Summer 2017, 31 (colour illus.).
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Sandra McGrath, The Bulletin, 'Melbourne gives an Olympian salute to Nolan', pg. 78, Sydney, 16 Jun 1987, 78 (colour illus.).
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Robert Melville, Ned Kelly: 27 paintings by Sidney Nolan, 'Ned Kelly', pg. 1-5, London, 1964, 10 (colour illus.), 46. plate no. 6
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Menzies Art Brands Pty Ltd [Sydney], 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
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NGV on Russell, Common Wealth: A tribute to federation, Melbourne, 2001.
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Charles Osborne, Sidney Nolan: paintings, drawings and theatre design, Chester, 1983, (colour illus.). cat.no. 4; titled 'First Class Marksman'; not paginated
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Barry Pearce, Frances Lindsay, Lou Klepac and Edmund Capon AM, OBE, Sidney Nolan, 'Ned Kelly 1946-47', pg. 114, Sydney, 2007, 114, 118 (colour illus.), 231, 242. cat.no. 29; Collection of The Vizard Foundation, Melbourne
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Barry Pearce, Look, 'A quiet love affair: private passion over 33 years gives birth to a book', pg. 26-29, Sydney, Sep 2014, 26, 27 (colour illus.). extract
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Helen Rayment, Australian modernism: the complexity and the diversity, North Caulfield, 1992, 5, 23 (colour illus.). cat.no. 28
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Warwick Reeder, Heide I: A guide book, Bulleen, 2002, 10.
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Warwick Reeder, The Ned Kelly Paintings: Nolan at Heide 1946-47, 'Nolan at Heide', pg. 9-15, Melbourne, 1997, 14, 25, 30, 49 (colour illus.), 77 (illus.). cat.no. 36
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John Reed, The 'Kelly' paintings of Sidney Nolan 1946-47, Melbourne, Jun 1956. cat.no. 6; titled 'First-class marksmen'
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John Reed, The 'Kelly' paintings of Sidney Nolan 1946-47, Melbourne, Apr 1948. cat.no. 6; titled 'First-class marksman'
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T.G. Rosenthal, Sidney Nolan, 'Ned Kelly', pg. 59-99, London, 2002, 62, 68 (colour illus.). Reproduced by kind permission of The Vizard Foundation, Melbourne
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Sarah Saunders (Editor), 50 something: National Seniors Association, 'Top Shelf', pg. 50, Brisbane, Jun 2010-Jul 2010, 50 (colour illus.).
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John Saxby, Sydney Morning Herald, no 15348, 'A window opens on new stories about building the collection', pg. 26-28, Sydney, 04 Jun 1887, 26.
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Andrew Sayers, Sidney Nolan: the Ned Kelly story, New York, 1994, 28, 36 (illus.).
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Sotheby's Australia, Sotheby's Melbourne: Fine Australian paintings (14th August 1989), Melbourne, 1989, front cover (colour illus., detail), (colour illus.). lot no. 296A
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Jill Sykes (Editor), Look, 'Bullseye!', pg. 15, Sydney, Jun 2010, 11, 15 (colour illus.).
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Jill Sykes (Editor), Look, 'Barry Pearce's next book-call it "segueing with intent"'by Jill Sykes, pg. 28-29, Sydney, Mar 2012, 28.
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Jill Sykes (Editor), Look, 'Guided tours: highlights of the Australian collection', pg. 52, Sydney, Aug 2012, 52 (colour illus.). Article featured in 'What's on elsewhere'.
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Jill Sykes (Editor), Look, Sydney, Sep 2010, 6 (colour illus.). Menzies Auctioneers advertisement
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Brendan Trembath., The World Today with Eleanor Hall, 'Nolan's "First Class Marksman" hangs in Sydney', 31 Mar 2010. Interview features Edmund Capon, Eleanor Hall, Virginia Judge, Lou Klepac and Brendan Trembath.
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Staff writers., The Australian, 'AGNSW reveals mystery buyer of Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly', Surry Hills, 31 Mar 2010, (colour illus.).
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Jane Wynter (Editor), Foundation Newsletter #17, Sydney, Dec 2010, (colour illus.). Photo has Lou Klepac standing beside painting.
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Unknown (Editor), The Epoch Times, 'Kelly Hangs Again, This Time in Sydney', Sydney, 31 Mar 2010.
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Editor Unknown (Editor), Courier Mail, 'Artistic knight cherished his working-class origins', pg. 9, Queensland, 30 Nov 1992, 9.
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Editor Unknown, A.M.: the Australian monthly, 'Ned Kelly Hangs Again', Sydney, Feb 1950, (illus.).
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Sidney Nolan oeuvres d'un grand peintre australien a l'ambassade d'australie, Paris, 1978. cat.no. 4; titled 'The Marksman'
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