Mounted Police (Trooper in Landscape) from the Ned Kelly Series
Painting on board/hardboard • Sidney Nolan (1917–1992)
Style & Movement
Australian Modernism / Mythic Surrealism
Medium & Technique
Enamel (Ripolin) and oil on composition board; features flat application with gestural brushwork in the background
Creation Period
Circa 1945-1947
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 90 x 120 cm; Landscape orientation
Subject Description
A police trooper in a bright blue uniform and distinctive black helmet sits atop a galloping horse against an Australian bush landscape at sunset. The figure represents the law enforcement pursuing the bushranger Ned Kelly. The composition uses a flat, almost folk-art perspective typical of Nolan's subversive narrative style.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good; shows typical signs of age for mid-century industrial paints on board
Estimated Market Value
$150,000 - $350,000 USD (Highly dependent on specific series verification)
Auction Estimate
$120,000 - $250,000 USD
Provenance History
Likely from a private Australian collection; similar to works held in the National Gallery of Australia or the Heide Museum of Modern Art
Art Historical Significance
Central to the development of a distinct Australian national identity in art. Nolan's Kelly series transfigured local history into universal myth using a 'naive' modernist aesthetic that challenged traditional European academic painting.
Notable Features
Use of Ripolin commercial enamel paint which provides the characteristic gloss and flat color fields. The contrast between the rigid, toy-like figure and the atmospheric, fluid landscape is a hallmark of Nolan's mid-40s style.
Condition Issues
Surface abrasions, minor craquelure in heavier enamel layers, and slight yellowing of the varnish. Possible bowing of the composition board.
Conservation Recommendations
Professional cleaning to remove surface grime, stabilization of any flaking enamel, and housing in a museum-quality climate-controlled environment with UV-protective glazing.