Sparring Elephants
Robert Bateman Hand Signed Artist Proof 28″ x 22.25″
Edition Size: 76
“Elephants are the most powerful land animals. They live a well-organized and complex social life and are very sensitive to the intimate relationships between individual members of the herd. This sensitivity, however, does not preclude the rivalry between males. It seems that most species that reproduce sexually (as opposed to vegetative reproduction) encourage competition among males. In the higher animals the dispute may be over females or territories, or just for ‘sport’. This sportive sparring keeps the animals fit and provides practice for the time when a life and death struggle may be required. Elephants seldom go that far. This duo is fighting for fun, but when elephants are involved, great force is used, and damage can occur. I gave this painting a low view-point so that the elephants would loom like a powerful mountainous mass. From the periphery the egrets scatter like dust from an explosion.” Robert Bateman
(From the original painting Sparring Elephants – Original – 1975 – 48″ x 60″ Acrylic on Masonite)
