SIDNEY NOLAN

Lord Alistair McAlpine Collection
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; a gift from the above in 1995 

A verticle scratch across the shoulder of the figure and lower centre, areas of studio scuffing across the sky. Overall in good condition. Work is sealed to the reverse.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

For Sidney Nolan The explorer is a thematic and pictorial ideal. He loved to travel, visiting places as diverse as China and Antarctica. He was also a romanticist, his Ned Kelly hero facing colonial injustice like a latter day Robin Hood, and his ANZACS fighting almost within the shadows of ancient Troy. The noble heroes of Australia and New Zealand were described as having a toehold in history. The subject of explorers was tailor made for Nolan. Like them, he visited the strange unknown of Central Australia or the frozen wastes of the South Pole. Man set against impossible odds, his body tested and spirit challenged, was the stuff of his art. To these adventures he brought a lyrical sense of colour and an ability to create images that catch the eye and rivet the mind. So it is in The explorer, the headless camel providing a visual jolt, a metaphor of the very idea of exploration - of heading into the uncharted sands of the Dry Continent. The naked figure of the man also challenges, stripped of all protection in the face of such odds. The central sea glistens white with salt; the land is barren. Yet Nolan makes of it an image imaginatively coloured and memorable.