Much has been seen in Sidney Nolan’s enigmatic Moonboy. The icon, flat and ovoid, debuted in 1940 at the 2nd Annual Contemporary Art Society exhibition in the painting ‘Boy and the moon’, soon to be nicknamed by Sunday Reed as “Moonboy”. During World War II, Nolan painted his Moonboy on the roof of a building at Heide only for air-force intelligence to insist on its removal, fearing it to be a target for Japanese bombers.

Repeated throughout his career, Moonboy has been described as an early example of abstraction in Australia, a toilet seat, the aftermath of an atomic bomb and tree of life. Nolan claims it carries no emotional content, and was instead inspired by the vision of his friend’s silhouette backed by a full moon. In this iteration, ‘Moonboy’ (1958), a face is etched into the insignia’s side using a crayon rubbing technique. The effect feels ancient, as though Nolan’s Moonboy has existed since the beginning of time – the first life, face, ovary.

Five years after the arrival of Moonboy would come Nolan’s Ned Kelly, another flat, geometric head. These symbols share an apparent simplicity that belies complexity, a riddle of meanings and connotations that continue to grip collectors, curators and art historians. For collectors of Nolan and important works on paper, ‘Moonboy’ (1958) – original and double-sided – is a museum-quality find.

Sidney NOLAN (1917 - 1992)
'Moonboy' 1958
mixed media on paper
Image Size: 31 x 25 cm
Framed Dimensions: 67 x 60 x 3 cm
Comes with Letter of Provenance

Condition: Very Good: Describes a work of art's image as Excellent, but may show some small signs of surrounding wear to paper or frame. There are no tears to paper margin or disruption to the paint surface.

(c) Sidney Nolan / Copyright Agency