Sidney Robert Nolan (1917 - 1992)

Born 22 Apr 1917 in Carlton, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Violet Cynthia (Reed) Nolan — married 25 Mar 1948 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Husband of Mary Elizabeth (Boyd) Nolan — married 1978 in City of Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom

Died 28 Nov 1992 at age 75 in London, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Sidney Nolan is Notable.

Australian artist Sidney Nolan was born in 1917 in North Carlton, Victoria Australia. He was the eldest of four children of locally born parents Sidney Henry Nolan, a military policeman and later tram driver, and his wife Dora Irene (Sutherland) Nolan. ^[1]

At the Swedish Church, South Melbourne, on 16 December 1938 Sidney Nolan married Elizabeth Paterson a graphic designer. ^[2]

Their daughter, Amelda, was born in 1941 but the marriage was not destined to last.

Also in 1938 Nolan had unsuccessfully sought the patronage of Sir Keith Murdoch to fund further study in Europe. But his search did lead him to the solicitor John Reed, who was a supporter of modernist art. Sidney Nolan soon became a regular visitor to Heide, Reed’s farmhouse at Heidelberg, outside Melbourne. There Reed and his wife, Sunday, encouraged talented writers and painters to treat their home as a place of emotional openness and artistic growth. This group included Albert Tucker, Joy Hester, Arthur Boyd and John Perceval. ^[3]

In July of that same year Nolan became a foundation member of the Contemporary Art Society (CAS), established to promote modernist art. After a less than successful stint in the Australian Army during World War II, culminating in Nolan deserting and living and returning to painting under an assumed name.

Nolan shared an intimate relationship with Sunday Reed and later married her sister-in-law Cynthia Reed on the 25 March 1948 at St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church, Sydney. ^[4]

Nolan adopted her young daughter Jinx in 1949.

Cynthia passed away in 1976 and In 1978, Nolan married his friend and fellow artist Arthur Boyd's sister; Mary Boyd (1926–2016). She was youngest daughter of William Merric Boyd (1888–1959) a potter and Doris Gough (1889–1960) a painter, part of Australia's famous Boyd family of artists. Mary Boyd had previously been married to John Perceval.

Sir Sidney Nolan is probably best remembered for his series of paintings on legends from Australian history, most famously Ned Kelly, the bushranger and outlaw. Nolan's stylised depiction of Kelly's armour has become an icon of Australian art. Along with many accolades and awards he was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts, London in 1991. In 1981 he was Knighted while also being appointed CBE in 1963, an OM in 1983, and AC in 1988. ^{[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}

He passed away in London on the 28th of November 1992 at the age of 75. ^[10] He was survived by his third wife and two daughters. He is buried in the Eastern part of Highgate Cemetery, London. ^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ [ Births Deaths & Marriages Victoria. Search VIC BDM Birth Record: Family name: NOLAN Given name(s): Sidney Robert Event: births Mother's name : NOLAN, Dora Irene Mother's family name at birth: SUTHERLAND Father's name: NOLAN, Sidney Henry Place of birth: North Carlton Reg. year: 1917 Reg. number: 10477/1917 ]
2. ↑ [ Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages: Marriage: Registration number17054 / 1938 - Family name: PATTERSON - Given name(s): Eliz. - spouse's family name: NOLAN - spouse's given name(s): Sidney Robert. from Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages ]
3. ↑ [ Wikipedia contributors, "Sidney Nolan," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sidney_Nolan&oldid=1013428367 (accessed April 8, 2021). ]
4. ↑ [ New South Wales Births, Deaths & Marriages: marriage: 7685/1948 - NOLAN, SIDNEY ROBERT and HANSEN, CYNTHIA - district: SYDNEY. from New South Wales Births, Deaths and Marriages search ]
5. ↑ [ Nancy D. H. Underhill, Nolan, Sir Sidney Robert (Sid) (1917–1992), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/nolan-sir-sidney-robert-sid-17826/text29411, published online 2016, accessed online 17 June 2021. ]
6. ↑ [ Nolan, Sir Sidney Robert (Sid) (1917–1992), Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/nolan-sir-sidney-robert-sid-17826/text32073, accessed 17 June 2021. ]
7. ↑ [ Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. Sir Sidney Nolan. Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Apr. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sidney-Nolan. Accessed 17 June 2021. ]
8. ↑ [ Sir Sidney Nolan 1917–1992 from the TATE website. first accessed online 17 June 2021 at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/sir-sidney-nolan-1708 ]
9. ↑ [ SIR SIDNEY NOLAN © Copyright 2021 Sidney Nolan Trust first accessed online 17 June 2021 at: https://www.sidneynolantrust.org/sir-sidney-nolan/ ]
10. ↑ Death Registration: "England & Wales General Register Office," database, GRO Online Indexes - Death (accessed 2 February 2024), Nolan, Sidney Robert (Year of birth: 1917). GRO Reference: 1992 Oct-Nov-Dec in Westminster (2581D) Volume 15 Page 1913 Entry Number 76.
11. ↑ [ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5617/sidney-nolan : accessed 17 June 2021), memorial page for Sir Sidney Nolan (22 Apr 1917–28 Nov 1992), Find a Grave Memorial ID 5617, citing Highgate Cemetery East, Highgate, London Borough of Camden, Greater London, England ; Maintained by Find A Grave . ]