Provenance: The artist
Private collection Sydney

The individual flower paintings completed between 1968 and 1970 were an important prelude to Nolan’s herculean mural paintings including The Flowers 1968, Wildflowers 1970 and the monumental Paradise Garden 1968-70, (Victorian Arts Centre) a work comprised of 1296 panels.

The unusual mixed media and Ripolin enamel, typical of Nolan’s innovatory qualities, produced a translucent effect aided by the shiny coated paper used as support. The Ripolin adds to the realism of these paintings as the medium allowed Nolan to capture the true translucence of these flowers.

The flower paintings demonstrate why Nolan was so drawn to Ripolin. With Ripolin enamel, as Nolan said, “you can see each brush-stroke” – a feature Nolan exploited with Zen-like economy. His continuous stroke captures the essence of his subjects with beguiling simplicity.

Vase of Flowers (cat. no.58) and Kangaroo Paws (cat. no.60) were made when Nolan was working on the mammoth Paradise Garden in 1969.

RM