Description

Winter-Snowshoe Hare by Robert Bateman-framed consignment. Framed as shown from a private collection.

” WINTER – SNOWSHOE HARE “
Robert Bateman

950 s/n Limited Edition Print 13″ x 21″ $550
180 s/n Giclee Canvas 19″ x 31″ $575

Winter Snowshoe Hare – Robert Bateman 

“The snowshoe hare is a classic animal of the boreal forest. Its range is virtually the same
as the northern wilderness. In fact, even its coat is perfectly suited to the land that is for
half the year covered with snow. In the summer it is a warm brown which blends in
perfectly with the humus and coniferous needles of the forest floor. In winter its
coat is, of course, white which provides camouflage and protection from the predators.
This season change of colour gives it its other name, “varying hare”.

This painting presented a challenge. In order to make the animal stand out, the logical
place to put it would have been in front of the dark vegetation, but I though it would
be more interesting to paint the hare as nature had intended it – white against white.
This gave me little tonal room to maneuver and show all the form and textures on the hair.”
Robert Bateman

Robert Bateman (1930- ) is a Canadian naturalist, educator, and painter. As a young boy, Bateman was fascinated by his natural surroundings, particularly birds. He also enjoyed art, but did not intend to make it a career. After high school, he attended Forest Hill Collegiate Institute in Toronto, the University of Toronto, and the Ontario College of Education to earn degrees in geography and education. From there, he went on to spend 20 years as a high school art and geography teacher in Ontario and Nigeria. With his freetime during this period, he also continued to paint. By 1976, his artwork was beginning to gain recognition and he ended his career as a formal educator to devote more time to painting. In 1977 he signed with Mill Pond Press to begin distribution of his work as limited edition fine art prints.

Robert Bateman’s paintings are part of the realism genre of fine art, although he initially dabbled with representational, impressionistic, cubist, and abstract impressionistic art styles first. He was influenced by the members of the Group of Seven, a Canadian art movement from the early 20th century. Nearly all of his pieces feature an animal in their natural habitat. His subjects range from cardinals to grizzlies to whales, with birds being a favorite. Bateman’s artwork has been strongly influenced by his far-reaching travels, particularly a two year stint in a Land Rover traveling the world.

Over the course of his career, Robert Bateman’s art has been featured in more than 30 major one-man exhibitions, with most of the shows drawing record-breaking crowds. His pieces are in the private collections of Prince Philip, Princess Grace of Monaco, and Prince Bernard of the Netherlands as well as the permanent collections of many museums. He has done commissioned work for the World Wildlife Fund, the Canada Post, the Toronto Board of Trade, the Royal Canadian Mint, the National Capital Commission, and even a piece entitled “Northern Reflections – Loon Family” which was given to Prince Charles as a gift from the Canadian Government. Bateman has received twelve honorary degrees and in excess of 30 major awards, including two Queen’s Jubilee medals and the Order of British Columbia. There are three Canadian schools named after him. He has authored or co-authored a dozen books on his life, his art, and wildlife. He has been the subject of at least ten different feature films over the course of three decades and has affiliations with the board or commission of more than forty environment and art related organizations. In addition to his artwork, he started the Get to Know program to help educate children about their natural surroundings.