Robert Bateman Original Paintings
Robert Bateman was born in 1930 in Ontario, Canada, and raised in a middle class family. He taught high school for 20 years, including two years in Nigeria. At an early age Bateman developed a strong connection with the outdoors and nature. He would often spend time in parks, streams, lakes and hills enjoying everything in his sight. He especially loved the wild life he used to see. Soon after Bateman started sketching the animals he would see. Despite his interest and talent, Bateman opted to study geography at university. Bateman started teaching art and geography at a local high school, but continued to paint, and slowly started getting his paintings noticed. Bateman’s definition of what makes a painting a masterpiece is something that comes from the heart. Oakwood Auctions is proud to announce it has 8 Robert Bateman original paintings for sale.
The first painting of Robert Bateman’s to be reproduced for limited edition prints, is a pair of lion cubs sitting on rocks. This spectacular painting is one of Bateman’s finest, and will always be a flagship piece to collectors and investors.
Lot 623: Robert Bateman’s “Lion Cubs” Original
“These yearling cubs survey the world of the Serengeti Plain far below them. The Serengeti is a priceless heritage of all mankind. It is to be hoped the lions will forever gaze on a domain which belongs to them” – Robert Bateman
Bateman has been a keen artist and naturalist from his early days. He has always painted wildlife and nature, beginning with a representational style, moving through impressionism and cubism to abstract expressionism. In his early thirties he moved back to realism as a more suitable way to express the particularity of the planet. It is this style that has made him one of the foremost artists depicting the world of nature. This signature style can be seen in his painting, Lot 620: Robert Bateman’s “Cheetah in the Mara” Original.
While travelling in Kenya, Bateman saw a cheetah lying in the grass. This scene was so striking to him and his wife he created one of his greatest cheetah paintings.
In the '70s and early '80s, Bateman's work began to receive critical acclaim and to attract an enormous following. Robert Bateman original paintings are in many public and private collections, and several art museums, including the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, WY. The retrospective show, The Art of Robert Bateman, toured Canada and the USA for two years, and toured four cities in Russia. Bateman’s most successful exhibitions came in 1987 at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, in which he holds the record for largest attendance.
While in India with his wife Birgit, they went to a lake with a small temple on it, and fell in love with the scene. This was such a stunning image that limited edition reproductions were made in both print and canvas.
Lot 622: Robert Bateman's "Hindu Temple Tiger" Original Painting
"While exploring the ruins of the Hindu kingdom, we came upon a little lake with a small temple perched perfectly on a peninsula. In my mind’s eye, I saw it at dawn, or by moonlight, or perhaps twilight. There could be a tiger, emerging from the shelter of the temple, looking out over the lake. There must have been a tiger there, at that spot, at some time through the centuries, but not when we were there to see it.” - Robert Bateman
Due to his unconventional paintings style and choice of subject matter in his works Bateman is considered by many to be a bit of an outsider in the art world. His art reflects his commitment to ecology and preservation. He travelled around the world in 1957-58, increasing his appreciation of cultural and natural heritage. Since the early 1960's, he has been an active member of naturalist and conservation organizations, now on a global scale. Since leaving teaching in 1976 to paint full-time, he has travelled widely with his wife Birgit to many remote natural areas. The family moved to Salt Spring Island, British Columbia in 1985, and has lived there since. He has become a spokesman for many environmental and preservation issues and has used his artwork and limited edition prints in fund-raising efforts that have provided millions of dollars for worthy causes, including his work with Ducks Unlimited. Bateman is a strong crusader of preserving the natural environment and works tirelessly with local communities and youth groups in promoting awareness about the importance of nature and its habitats.
Lot 618: Robert Bateman's "Big Horn Sheep Herd" Original Painting
“In a painting I usually let either the wildlife dominate or the landscape. To have them compete would be like having an orchestra fighting with a singer for loudness and attention. This idea started with a magnificent Rocky Mountain landscape I saw a number of years ago (I am afraid that the glacier would be much smaller today). I saw it as a series of abstract layered forms as opposed to a more stereotypical “chocolate box” mountain scene. In this scene, I wanted to give the quality of being on top of the world. I have pushed the animals up to the top of the picture, against the sky. The big, old ram stays protectively in the rear and gives you one last scornful look before he follows the herd and is gone." - Robert Bateman
Robert Bateman original paintings are very rare, and seldom become available for sale. Collectors and investors alike who own them, understand how recognized and accomplished an artist he truly is. At 90 years of age, Bateman is no longer painting, and the values of his incredible works are only going to increase.