Sidney Nolan

The painter Sir Sidney Nolan (191792, pictured above in 1960) spent the last decade of his life at The Rodd Farm, Presteigne. Nolan was a close friend of Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears; many of his paintings were inspired by Britten’s music and exhibited at Aldeburgh Festival, including responses to Peter Grimes, Rejoice in the Lamb and Children’s Crusade. Best known for his epic series of canvases depicting the life of Australian bandit Ned Kelly, Nolan was also a theatre designer, whose commissions included the 1964 Kenneth Macmillan production of The Rite of Spring for the Royal Ballet, and Saint-saëns’s Samson et Dalila for the Royal Opera. His former home is open to the public and hosts creative residencies and exhibitions.