Sidney Nolan (1917-1992)Explorer Antarctica, 1964 signed and dated lower centre: '16 Sept / 1964 / Nolan'; signed, inscribed and dated verso: 'Antarctica / 16 Sept 1964 / Nolan / Fergie / Photo / 1964 / NFS'oil on composition board122.0 x 122.0cm (48 1/16 x 48 1/16in).注脚PROVENANCESir Sidney Nolan, United Kingdom, until 1992Lady Nolan, United Kingdom, until 2016The Estate of Lady Nolan, United KingdomRELATED WORKS:Explorer, September 1964, oil on composition board, 121.9 x 121.9cm (NGA 2017.227); and Explorer, 18 September 1964, oil on composition board, 121.9 x 121.9cm (NGA 2017.231), both in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, purchased 2017 from the estate of Lady NolanWhile painting the Antarctic explorers Nolan was reading The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry Garrard, a member of Scott's disastrous last expedition, who was left shocked by his experiences. Nolan's paintings of the Antarctic explorers delve into the physical and psychological struggles they endured. In this work the bowed head, saint-like with a halo of ice, is reminiscent of John Charles Dollman's popular painting, A Very Gallant Gentleman, 1913, that depicts the stooped figure of Captain Oates as he walked heroically from Scott's tent. Nolan, however, was rarely literal in depicting his legends nor limited himself to single sources of inspiration and here we also see the influence of Coleridge's epic poem 'The Ryme of the Ancient Mariner' which recounts the story of a sailor surviving a voyage in Antarctic waters. For other important works from this series see lots 113, 125 and 156.