Dated circa 1950, Sidney Nolan’s ‘Black Swan’ is an early evocation of his Leda and the Swan series. This series would not reach maturity until 1960 when it was unveiled at London’s Matthieson Gallery to great success with Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Kenneth Clark and Agatha Christie among those who collected works.

What made Leda and the Swan such a striking subject was its apparent un-Australianess. Nolan had gone from Ned Kelly to Ancient Greece, finding between these themes the powerful thread of myth. In ‘Black Swan’, Nolan presents an elegant swan – it is minimal yet iconic, its long neck bowing like a cupped hand. The tale of Leda is implied not stated, reduced to a hieroglyphic.

Nolan’s work delves as deeply into its subject as it does into the nature of myth. As he describes, I start from an abstract feeling, allowing the world to unfold before him until he creates a landscape you have never seen before but have always felt. For collectors of Nolan and iconic Australian art, Black Swan embodies beauty. Impeccably framed with UV-protective artglass, this work of art is both safeguarded for years to come and ready to be enjoyed the moment its hung.

Sidney NOLAN (1917 - 1992)
'Black Swan' c. 1950
mixed media on paper
Image Size: 31 x 26 cm
Dimensions: 58 x 51 x 2 cm
Comes with Letter of Provenance. Certificate Of Authenticity signed by the Agent for the estate of Lady Nolan provided

Condition: Very Good: Describes a work of art's image as Excellent, but may show some small signs of surrounding wear to paper or frame. There are no tears to paper margin or disruption to the paint surface.

(c) Sidney Nolan / Copyright Agency

Read about this work and more in Sidney Nolan | Poems, Myths and Mermaids.