The Art of Robert Bateman - Softcover

Introduction By Roger Tory Paterson, Text Byramsey Derry

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0713914335 ISBN 13: 9780713914337

Publisher: Viking, 1981

Synopsis

The work of Robert Bateman has brought new vitality and distinction to the world of wildlife art. His astonishingly detailed and carefully composed paintings of birds and mammals have been received with enthusiasm by both the public and the leading authorities in the field. Terrence Shortt, the dean of Canadian bird painters, states that Bateman "is a great artist, one with a style that sets him apart from any bird artist in the world today".

But why does Bateman's work, of all the extraordinary wildlife painting that is being done today, evoke such a powerful response from the viewer? David M. Lank, the wildlife art critic believes that it is because Bateman's paintings "demand that you sense what is Inside a plank of weathered wood, that you feel the resilience of the branches and the sponginess of the moss. He wants you to think of what the heron sees through the clear riffle even though you yourself cannot... His paintings invite you to become an effective participant in the world he has created."

This is the first book to be devoted to Robert Bateman's work. The eighty-two colour plates offer a breathtaking opportunity for the reader to enjoy the tremendous scope of the paintings, from a tiny sparrow in a richly detailed streambank to a massive rhinoceros head; from an infinitely delicate heron to a majestic vista of elk dwarfed by the Rocky Mountains. In the accompanying commentary Bateman acts as a guide to his own paintings recalling encounters with wildlife subjects and pointing out unexpected features and details.

The profile of the artist by Ramsay Derry is a lively, informal account of Robert Bateman's career and personality. It traces Bateman's education and development from his early days as a teenage birdwatcher and artist to his present international success, and analyzes the unique combination of artistic sensibility and scientific knowledge that contributes to his remarkable talent.

Edition details

• Publisher: Viking
• Publication date: 1981
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0713914335
• ISBN 13: 9780713914337
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 180