Last Look – Bighorn Sheep
Robert Bateman Hand Signed Limited Edition Print 18.5″ x 32.5″
Edition Size: 950
“He is the king of the high mountains. Agile on steep rocks, comfortable on snow fields, he is able to get nourishment from short alpine grasses by pawing through the snow. Bighorn sheep are gregarious and are most often seen in herds. Although other males are tolerated, one big old ram usually dominates the group.
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 sky has a strong, important presence. It is close to the sheep. I introduced the Pointillist colours to give a shimmering effect and made the cirrus clouds echo the texture of the bighorn’s wooly coat. The snow also is strong, bright and full of colour. It is as if you’ve been following the herd for a closer look. They have been eluding you by going higher into their lofty world. They have reached the summit and are disappearing over the other side. 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
(From the original painting Last Look – Bighorn Sheep, 1981, 24″ x 42″, Oil)
