Art Club 5

Continuing the Nolan retrospective, we return, via chronological order, to the first of his Ned Kelly series -



Sidney Nolan, Return to Glenrowan 1946 (reworked later) - Nolan Gallery, Cultural Facilities Corporation, Australian Capital Territory

This is the only work in his first Kelly series which doesn't have the armour/face showing as jet black - whether the coloured stripes were put on during the rework, or as it was originally, is not noted.  Instead of the usual effect of Kelly being the dark, intense portion of the painting, in this piece the whole landscape broods.  The dark skies, the greenish/black ground all add to a sense of dread and foreboding.

In reality, Glenrowan was the hamlet that Ned Kelly was captured at, while the rest of his gang were killed.