Forensic imaging opens a window into Nolan’s Ned Kelly universe
Conservators and scientists are applying techniques once reserved for crime labs and medical research to Sidney Nolan’s iconic Ned Kelly paintings. At the Canberra Museum and Gallery, a multidisciplinary team is using advanced imaging to peer beneath the flat, homogenous surface produced by Nolan’s choice of household paint, Ripolin, and reveal layers of history hidden from the naked eye.
Why Nolan’s paintings invite this kind of scrutiny
Nolan’s Ned Kelly series is famed for its immediate, stark portrayal of Australia’s infamous outlaw. Yet the artist also nourished a habit of leaving parts of his stories unspoken, inviting viewers to fill in the gaps. As Australia’s leading Nolan scholar, Paula Dredge, explains, Nolan enjoyed a degree of mystery—“a bit mysterious and not explaining everything too much.”
The texture of these works matters. Nolan used household paints that level themselves, creating smooth, flat surfaces. That very flatness can mask subtle irregularities beneath, which can become clues rather than obstacles when viewed through the right lens.
The imaging toolkit: seeing what lies beneath the surface
At the heart of the project is a suite of imaging technologies traditionally found in labs. Infrared cameras can see through initial paint layers to reflect with greater clarity what lies underneath. X-ray mapping, high-resolution scans, and other non-invasive methods help researchers identify hidden elements—figures, text, and even fragments of newspaper—that Nolan apparently painted over or integrated into the composition for reasons known only to him.
Dr. Paula Dredge notes that beneath the visible surface, “textural inconsistencies” often emerge, pointing toward unseen layers. These clues can range from a faint portrait underdrawn in the early stages to phrases or images the artist chose to conceal at the moment of creation. “You can’t really tell what’s underneath until you do some imaging,” she says, underscoring how technology complements traditional exam methods.
A landmark discovery and ongoing investigations
The hunt for hidden content began in earnest during a collaboration with the Heide Museum of Modern Art in Melbourne. One of Nolan’s early Ned Kelly canvases was taken to the Australian Synchrotron for an X-ray map. The discovery there was described as a real highlight in the field, and the search has continued since that breakthrough, driven by a shared curiosity about the artist’s process.
Canberra Museum and Gallery conservator and research team member Celia Cramer emphasizes that the infrared approach is a quiet, non-destructive way to unlock new information. The team has already identified hidden figures, words, and even newspaper clippings that appear to echo or contrast with the central narrative of the painting. In one recent case, the team was testing whether an inverted composition might reveal the painting’s original orientation or intent, a puzzle Nolan could have contemplated decades ago.
The human side of the science
Dr. Dredge points out that Nolan’s interest in science probably extended to the use of cutting-edge imaging. If the artist were alive today, she suggests, he would relish the chance to see his works reinterpreted through modern technology. “Nolan’s work is always a new discovery. There are always new things that are hidden, things that are new to find,” she says, highlighting the evolving nature of art history when science enters the studio.
This imaging project is part of a broader initiative marking 50 years since Nolan gifted the Ned Kelly paintings to the Australian people. The findings will feed into the Canberra Museum and Gallery’s major exhibition, Nolan: The Backstory, scheduled to open in 2027. The exhibition will pair the visible masterpieces with the new knowledge unearthed by forensic imaging, offering visitors a layered experience of creation, concealment, and discovery.
What lies ahead for the Ned Kelly series
As imaging technology advances, researchers anticipate more discoveries about Nolan’s hidden content—whether it’s earlier sketches, alternate compositions, or textual elements that contextualize his interpretation of the outlaw myth. Each revelation not only enriches our understanding of Nolan’s practice but also invites contemporary viewers to reconsider what they see when they stand in front of these paintings.
In the end, the project embodies a core principle of art history: the story of a painting is never finished. With forensic imaging, the Ned Kelly series continues to speak, not only through color and silhouette but through the quiet revelations that lie beneath the surface.
