Sidney Nolan and paint: a study of an artist’s use of commercial, ready-made paints in Australia 1938-1953

Abstract

This thesis examines the history of Sidney Nolan’s art-making practice in Australia and his early and unprecedented use of commercial paint. The interdisciplinary approach includes a biographical study of Nolan’s painting practice and a history of commercial paint technology in Australia combined with the scientific analysis of a unique collection of reference material from Nolan’s Wahroonga studio. Instrumental analysis of a number of paintings confirms the ability to identify Ripolin paint based on the reference collection. It also demonstrates Nolan’s use of other commercial paint types made with early synthetic alkyd and nitrocellulose paints. This study reveals that Ripolin was not Nola..