Provenance:
Private collection London

Related works:
Figure and Tree 1941
Illustrated: Adams. B., Sidney Nolan: Such is Life, Hutchinson, London, 1987, p.55.

In Landscape with Pink Tree 1941, the white figures to the right of the heavily fruited tree, may be birds, but they may also be the angels or floating lovers visualised from Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem Fifth Elegy1 the last stanza of which begins:

Angel! were there an unknown place
where, upon an uncanny carpet, lovers
could disport themselves in ways
here inconceivable-daring ariel maneuvers
of the heart scaling high plateaus of passion

Nolan’s relation to literature has been well documented. Jane Clark writes “Nolan recalls that Rilke had a special impact on his imagination at this time–with images of lovers, angels… Nolan appropriates the poetic imagery of angels and acrobat-lovers as his own.”2

In conversation with Elwyn Lynn, Nolan mentioned “I did a few of birds nestled against those spherical forms: everything was nestled together with very few interstices. … I was interested in the wounded bird looking for help and comfort.”3
RM

1 Clark J., Sidney Nolan: Landscapes and Legends, ICCA, Sydney, 1987, p.40.
2 ibid
3 Sidney Nolan, 12 April 1978 quoted in Lynn. E., Sidney Nolan – Australia, Bay Books, Sydney and London, 1979, p.24.