Description
Out of the White – Snow Leopard by Robert Bateman
(16 x 16; Offset Paper; Edition Size 950; $145.00 U.S.) (18 x 18; Giclee Canvas; Edition Size 180; $785.00 U.S.)
“Although I have traveled into Nepal with the International Snow Leopard Trust and supported research into this mysterious mammal, I have never seen a snow leopard in the wild. Therefore, even the scientists studying them in their Himalayan kingdom see them mostly in traps. The great zoologist George Schaller ( who put the mountain gorilla, the Serengeti and the giant panda on the map ) has not seen one. In 1973, he and author Peter Matthiessen walked 250 miles deep into the remote Nepalese mountains to research the Bharal or Himalayan blue sheep. Because this sheep is an important prey animal of the snow leopard, they felt that they would be bound to see this most beautiful of big cats.
…
Matthiessen wrote a book about the expedition entitled THE SNOW LEOPARD. It won the National Book Award and is considered one of the great works of American nonfiction. They did not see a snow leopard. This is a book about superhuman struggle, disappointment and philosophical growth. At the apex of the expedition they met a Lama or monk who had looked at one mountain view in its mighty isolation and silence for eight years. Because he was crippled, it would be this way for the rest of his life. When asked about it, he replied with a laugh, ” Of course I am happy here! It’s wonderful! Especially when I have no choice!” Matthiessen writes, ” In his wholehearted acceptance of what is, I feel as if he had struck me in the chest.” The search is quite enough. ” Have you seen the snow leopard?” ” No! Isn’t that wonderful?” Peter Matthiessen had already begun his spiritual journey into Buddhism. I suspect that not seeing the snow leopard had something to do with him becoming the zen master that he is today.
In this painting , I have attempted to show the almost transparent mystery of the snow leopard, coming out of the empty whiteness of a zen-like space.
George Schaller said, ” Maybe it is better if there are some things that we don’t see. There are countless people dedicating their lives to protecting living things that they never will see. This is true nobility.”
Robert Bateman
Biography
Robert Bateman has been called the most famous living artist. He continues to paint and tour the world to promote conservation and preservation of nature. We have represented Robert Bateman for decades and are now the sole publisher and distributor of his reproductions. We are so honored to work with him and witness his success. He has made such a massive contribution to the art world and the natural world as an artist and educator of the earth’s most important resources.
Nature as a subject is becoming more and more popular as our environment is in peril. What better subject is there than the beautiful creatures we share this world with? Robert Bateman’s appreciation and understanding of nature are apparent in his paintings. He is able to paint flora and fauna the way your eye would perceive it in real life. It is important that the animal takes full attention. The background becomes muted, and therefore it doesn’t take too much focus away from the subject. His paintings seem effortless and masterful all at once.
Bateman’s eye for composition is unparalleled. Each painting is a composed like a symphony, leading the eye to wander. From the backyards of North America to the sprawling plains of Africa. Robert Bateman captures nature the way it should be enjoyed. Above all he is a champion of wildlife. For this reason he has become a household name for art collectors.
