As we approach Christmas, artist monographs are increasingly appearing on the market, so I begin the October Art Diary with several, which are also linked to launch exhibitions.

So how were those works received? Let’s look at Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly series as an example. These 27 famous paintings depict the notorious bushranger Edward (Ned) Kelly’s final days in 1880.

A spectacular lyrebird costume designed by Sidney Nolan for the Australian Ballet was the centrepiece of the launch at ...