Sidney Nolan, After Glenrowan Siege (second Ned Kelly series) 1955 - Museum of Modern Art, New York
In 1953, Nolan left Australia for Europe, and, despite regular visits home, this was a permanent move. He was able to do this because of the financial success of his late 40s/early 50s outback pieces. Although he was overseas, he often came back to Australian subjects in his art, and reworked Ned Kelly in the mid-50s, with an eye to the then-contemporary European school.
In this, and other pieces from the series, Nolan added facial features to the mask, lips and the merest hint of a nose here. Although the first series is now classic Australiana, I preferred the colours in this series, even if they appear muddied rather than vibrant. The destruction of the Glenrowan Hotel in the background is also very striking to me.
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