“Winter Mist - Great horned owl”

Robert Bateman

Acrylic on Masonite

1970

Image size: 47 × 28

Original custom frame

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Provenance: Exhibited at the Thomas M. Evans Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC “Portraits of Nature” exhibit January 17 - May 17, 1987

From a private collection (original purchaser). First time publicly offered since original purchase

From Robert Bateman:

Although they normally hoot at night, this particular day was so dull that a pair of them were actively flying and hooting outside our house. This vocalization accounts for the thrusting pose with the throat patch fluffed out. I placed the owl in the diagonal branch to give it a dynamic thrust. The clump of beech leaves at the top of the picture is to emphasize the same effect.

Most of my paintings are reconstructed from a variety of experiences and sources. But this incident actually took place outside our dining room window. It was a foggy day during a midwinter thaw. This is the time of year when great horned owls do much of their territorial hooting. Because it takes a long time for such a large owl to reach maturity they must begin nesting during the snows of late winter.