This painting comes from the collection of Birgit and Robert Bateman. Bateman is one of Canada’s most celebrated wildlife artists, renowned for his highly detailed and quietly powerful portrayals of animals in their natural habitats. Born in 1930 in Toronto, Bateman developed an early fascination with nature that would become the foundation of his lifelong artistic practice. Working in a realist style, Bateman’s paintings are distinguished not only by their precision, but by their atmosphere and sense of stillness. Rather than dramatizing wildlife, he often presents animals as part of a larger ecosystem—sometimes small within the composition—encouraging viewers to slow down and observe the subtleties of the natural world. Beyond his studio practice, Bateman is an outspoken naturalist and educator, using his art to promote awareness of endangered species and fragile ecosystems. His legacy extends through both his paintings and his advocacy, positioning him as a central figure in Canadian art and one of the most influential wildlife artists of the twentieth century.

It is only fitting that as a wildlife painter himself, Bateman collected paintings by some of the other masters of wildlife painting. John Ford Clymer (1907–1989) was an American artist renowned for his richly detailed depictions of wildlife and the historical American West. His work is characterized by strong composition, meticulous attention to detail, and a deep interest in the relationship between humans and the natural world. In addition to his wildlife subjects, Clymer is especially noted for his historical scenes, which often portray frontier life with a sense of authenticity and storytelling. A longtime contributor to publications such as National Geographic, Clymer played an important role in shaping the visual language of twentieth-century American illustration. His legacy endures through paintings that combine technical precision with a vivid sense of place and history.