The McMichael Canadian Art Collection was the premiere and only Canadian art gallery to host The Art of Robert Bateman. A native of Toronto, Robert Bateman is a name familiar to most, if not all, Canadians. Although best known around the world as a wildlife artist, Bateman’s art also encompasses other subjects – landscapes, portraits, and still lifes – each created with a careful and knowledgeable attention to the principles of composition and design. His genius lies in his ability to distil complexity into elegant simplicity thereby creating art that is accessible and enjoyable at many levels.

Now living in British Columbia, Bateman is not only a talented artist, but also a naturalist who devotes much of his time and effort to environmental concerns, especially the preservation of the natural habitats of the birds and animals he portrays so beautifully in his art. This consuming interest in the environment, its diversity and its fragility is reflected in the landscape settings in which Bateman places his subjects. This exhibition of approximately fifty works of art included original paintings, watercolour and pen and ink drawings, and bronze sculptures. Several private collectors also agreed to lend their paintings to this exhibition.

Organized by David J. Wagner, Ph.D., Curator/Tour Director