Tarred and feathered

Nolan's fascination with the Australian landscape was principally inspired by the people that populated it and their stories. He writes: 'I find that the desire to paint the landscape involves a wish to hear more of the stories that take place within the landscape' (Sayers, 2002). The concept of the outsider also fascinated Nolan.

While working on the Kelly series, Nolan created this painting which re-tells the story of a man nicknamed Riverina Dick. The details of this story are unclear but, according to an Australian bush yarn, Riverina Dick was tarred and feathered and driven out of town. Tarring and feathering is a form of physical punishment that was, often covertly, inflicted upon an individual who was considered disloyal and it was intended to cause them public humiliation and discomfort. In this painting, two men in suits are depicted with guns, goading Riverina Dick whose body has been smeared with tar and feathers.

Reference:
Sayers, Andrew. 'Kelly's Words, Rousseau and Sunlight', in Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 2002, p.8