Bob Kuhn (American, 1920-2007)

Kuhn wrote of this composition,'For some reason, leopards and vignettes seem a logical wedding of subject and style...getting the various patterns right is one key to successfully portraying these elegant cats.' (op. cit., p. 43). He was able to capture wildlife accurately without compromising the integrity of the artistic composition, 'I like a lion to look like a lion, but I want to do it with the absolute minimum of busy work, a minimum of concern about the less-important aspects. Number one, I don't want to lose the form, because that's what I love, but I want to totally control it...The idea is to show just enough to say what you have to say, and get rid of the rest.' (The Art of Bob Kuhn, 1989). Tom Davis comments on Kuhn's ability to convey the essence of his subjects as shown in Leopard in Light and Shade, 'Kuhn is a master at this, extracting a maximum of expression, emotion and visual interest from a minimum of carefully chosen brushstrokes.' (op. cit., p. 11).