How a self-taught Australian painter turned a bushranger into a global icon

Art · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Sir Sidney Nolan rose from humble beginnings as a cook and gold miner to become a titan of modern art. Best known for his haunting, stylized depictions of the outlaw Ned Kelly, Nolan used unconventional materials like house paint to transform the Australian landscape into a canvas for universal human drama.

Born in Melbourne in 1917, Sidney Nolan lacked formal artistic training, instead drawing inspiration from his varied life experiences and the abstract works of Paul Klee and László Moholy-Nagy. By age 21, he had transitioned to painting, eventually developing a unique, fluid style. He famously experimented with non-traditional mediums, applying ripolin enamel house paint and polyvinyl acetate to surfaces ranging from masonite to glass.

Nolan’s most enduring contribution is his series on the bushranger Ned Kelly. Rather than seeking historical accuracy, Nolan used the outlaw’s iconic square helmet as a visual anchor to explore themes of injustice, love, and betrayal. These works were deeply influenced by his time at 'Heide,' the home of arts patrons John and Sunday Reed. His relationship with the Reeds was complex; he lived in a ménage à trois with them, and his eventual departure from their circle led to a long-standing dispute over the ownership of his Kelly paintings, which were only resolved when Sunday Reed donated them to the National Gallery of Australia in 1977.

Beyond the bushranger mythos, Nolan was a prolific creator who engaged with theatre, designing sets for ballets like The Rite of Spring and operas such as Samson et Dalila. His career spanned decades and continents, moving from the desolate Australian desert to London, where he lived until his death in 1992. Knighted in 1981 and appointed to the Order of Merit in 1983, Nolan remains a central figure in 20th-century art, with his work held in major institutions like the Tate Gallery and the Museum of Modern Art.

Nolan’s artistic evolution was also marked by personal tragedy and shifting alliances. His later work often reflected his complex history, including his time with the 'Angry Penguins' literary movement and his evolving feelings toward his former patrons. Through it all, his ability to imbue the Australian landscape with profound narrative meaning cemented his status as one of Australia’s most significant cultural figures.

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