Lot 47

The Collection of Lady Nolan, United Kingdom
Corporate collection, Melbourne
Menzies, Sydney, 23 June 2011, lot 122
Private collection, Melbourne

A Collection of Work 1940 - 1970, Australian Galleries, Melbourne, 27 April – 16 May 1992, cat. no. 5 and touring to Australian Galleries, Sydney, 9 June – 4 July 1992, cat. no. 4 (label verso, stock number 8973)

Sidney Nolan's works are often associated with mythology and events from Australia's rich history. Famous series including Gallipoli, Burke and Wills and the famed Ned Kelly works, are all particularly concerned with the outback landscape. His Miner series instead turned to the plight of the labourer, drawing back to Nolan's own working class roots. In 1972 Nolan travelled over the vast stretches of the dry, mineral-rich lands in the Pilbara region, turning his thoughts towards the experiences of the miners working under extreme conditions and facing risk daily. His Miner series resulted, within which Nolan references his own injuries sustained while on duty, serving at war, losing the two fingertips on his left hand in 1943. The figure's pose is also somewhat reminiscent of a religious portrait, with the contruction and placement of the hand a divine association, adding to Nolan's profile of the workers and their importance within Australian industry.

Lucy Foster
Senior Specialist, Fine Art


© The Sidney Nolan Trust. All rights reserved, DACS/Copyright Agency, 2022