Title
Ned Kelly
1975
Artists
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Details
- Place where the work was made
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Portalegre
→
Portugal
- Date
- 1975
- Media categories
- Textile , Weaving
- Materials used
- wool tapestry
- Edition
- 1/1
- Dimensions
- 296.0 x 415.0 cm variable
- Signature & date
Signed l.r. corner within weave, brown wool "Nolan". Not dated.
- Credit
- Margaret Hannah Olley Art Trust 2001
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- 409.2001
- Copyright
- © The Trustees of the Sidney Nolan Trust/DACS. Copyright Agency
- Artist information
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Sidney Nolan
Works in the collection
- Artist information
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Portalegre Tapestry Workshop
Works in the collection
- Share
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About
This impressive tapestry is based on Nolan's painting 'Kelly and horse' 1946, part of the artist's 1974 gift to the nation held at the Nolan Gallery, Lanyon, near Canberra. It was one of six unique tapestries Nolan had made, based on his first series of Ned Kelly paintings, at the Portalegre Tapestry Workshop, Portugal (also used by Arthur Boyd and John Olsen) during the 1970s. Subsequently, a number of these were exhibited at David Jones' Gallery in Sydney in 1973 and later in 1975, after the completion of this work.
Translation of the original painted image to a large tapestry, has resulted in an amplification of scale that greatly increases the dramatic and emotional impact of Nolan's subject.
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Exhibition history
Shown in 4 exhibitions
Five tapestries by Sidney Nolan (1975), David Jones' Art Gallery, Sydney, Sydney, 04 Mar 1975–23 Mar 1975
Favourites: Margaret Olley and Jeffrey Smart (2002), S.H. Ervin Gallery, The Rocks, 12 Jan 2002–24 Feb 2002
Imagining Ned, Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria, 28 Mar 2015–28 Jun 2015
Australian Artist Tapestry Survey, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, Bathurst, 18 Oct 2019–01 Dec 2019
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Bibliography
Referenced in 8 publications
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Brian Adams, Sidney Nolan: such is life, Melbourne, 1987, 220. Refers to 1973 tapestry exhibition.
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Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 2002, 'Year in review', pg. 8-25, Sydney, 2002, 8.
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Maureen Gilchrist, Nolan at Lanyon: an exhibition of the Sidney Nolan gift of twenty-four paintings to the Australian people, Canberra, 1976, 36. cat.no. 13 is the painting 'Kelly and horse' on which this tapestry is based. There is a colour reproduction of this painting, plate no. 3.
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Margaret Olley and Jeffrey Smart, Favourites: Margaret Olley and Jeffrey Smart selections, Sydney, 2002. NOTE: no catalogue numbers; dated 1971; Margaret Olley selection.
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Andrew Sayers, The Ned Kelly Paintings: Nolan at Heide 1946-47, Melbourne, 1997, 46, 73. cat.no. 23 is the painting 'Kelly and horse' on which this tapestry is based. There is a colour reproduction of this painting on page 46.
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Sotheby's Australia, Fine Australian paintings: including European paintings and a selection of fine furniture, Sydney, 1990, (colour illus.). lot.no. 327
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Daniel Thomas., The Sydney Morning Herald, 'Upending European tradition', Sydney, 13 Mar 1975, page unknown. General reference about tapestry exhibition, but not directly about this tapestry.
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Editor Unknown (Editor in Chief), The Australian financial review, 'Sidney Nolan tapestry for gallery', Sydney, 09 Aug 2001, page unknown. 'Oddlots' section
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