In 1956 while in Europe, Sidney Nolan drew designs for a number of art magazines including Verve magazine, a modernist French magazine published between 1937 and 1960. This work is one such configuration, depicting two sets of dueling gladiators with one in the foreground, his helmeted head in profile.

In the thick of the avant-garde, Verve commissioned covers by Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso, and published writing by James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway. John Russell of the New York Times remembered the magazine as possessing a “bosomy, full-fleshed, slightly slithery quality” that set it apart from other chronicles; Verve championed art for art’s sake.

An artist who approached modernism full-throttle, Nolan’s vision aligned with Verve’s. His design is typically modern – deceptively naive, punchy, invested in history and suggesting that culture is a battle. On the work’s verso, Nolan wrote ‘Ischia’ – a volcanic island in Italy he spent time in, further attesting to this work’s European flair.

For collectors of important works on paper, modernism or those interested in the intersection between fine art and design, ‘Verve’ is an art historical thrill. 

Sidney NOLAN (1917 - 1992)
'Verve' 1956
Crayon on paper
Image Size: 30 x 25 cm
Dimensions: 48 x 40 x 2 cm
Signed: Signed and dated on verso: Ischia / 11-7-56 / N
 
Comes with Letter of Provenance
 
This artwork is a study for a cover of Verve magazine. Verve was published between 1937-1960 and included covers by Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso.
 
Condition: Excellent
 
(c) Sidney Nolan / Copyright Agency