Nolan Unmasked

Overview

Step inside a live investigation at Canberra Museum and Gallery's Nolan Gallery. Visitors will watch conservators and scientists use state-of-the-art imaging to examine Sidney Nolan's iconic Kelly paintings.

Infrared and X-ray analysis will uncover hidden layers beneath the surface, from buried newspaper clippings to earlier versions of the outlaw hero. Each session is introduced by gallery staff, offering insights into what experts are searching for and why these discoveries matter.

Nolan Unmasked is part of Nolan50, celebrating fifty years since Sidney Nolan's gift of the Foundation Collection to the Australian people.

Timed public sessions will run every half hour across both days, with CMAG staff on hand to guide audiences through the process. With only 25 places per session, tickets are expected to sell out quickly.

This project is supported by Robert Cripps Institute for Cultural Conservation, The University of Melbourne; Sydney Analytical, a core research facility of The University of Sydney; Celia Cramer Conservation; The Australian Government.