SYDNEY (AP and ACNI) – A painting of Australia’s most notorious outlaw has sold at an auction in Australia for 5.4 million Australian dollars (US$4.9 million), a record bid for Australian artwork.

The buyer, previously identified only as “anonymous,” has stepped forward and been identified as the Gleeson O’Keefe Foundation. The nonprofit organization has donated the painting, titled First-Class Marksman, to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.

The 1946 Sidney Nolan painting of Ned Kelly, who is regarded by historians as a Robin Hood-like figure, was sold at an auction conducted by Menzies Art Brands on Thursday, March 25, 2010. The famous painting features Kelly in his armored helmet pointing a rifle. Prior to the auction, it was the only remaining Sidney Nolan artwork in private hands.

Edward “Ned” Kelly (June 1854/June 1855-11 November 1880) was an Irish-Australian bushranger and, to some, a folk hero for his defiance of the colonial authorities. Kelley was born in Victoria to an Irish convict father, and as a young man he clashed with the Victoria Police. Following an incident at his home in 1878, police parties searched for him in the bush. After he killed three policemen, the colony proclaimed Kelly and his gang to be wanted outlaws. A final violent confrontation with police took place at Glenrowan. Kelly, dressed in homemade plate-metal armor and helmet, was captured and sent to jail. He was hanged for murder at Old Melbourne Gaol (Jail) in 1880. His daring and notoriety made him an iconic figure in Australian history, folklore, literature, art and film.

The previous record for an Australian artwork was AU$3.48 million (US$3.2 million) for Brett Whiteley’s The Olgas for Ernest Giles in 2007.

#   #   #

Auction Central News International contributed to this report, using information obtained through Wikipedia.org.

Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-CS-03-25-10 2132EDT