Bongo. "Contemplation".
"Contemplation" is an original painting of a Bongo by wildlife artist, Wendy Warren. Rendered in pastel and pastel pencils, the painting captures the serenity of this unusual animal.
The painting is presented in a beautiful, black, hand-finished frame (47.5cm x 38.5cm). This Victorian style presentation, without a mount, leaves the painting set against the dark wood. A beautiful and unique piece of art.
"Contemplation" is for sale at £1,200 (or as a limited edition print).
If you are interested please contact Wendy for details. We are delighted to include a personal note if the painting is a gift.
Wendy... on painting a Bongo
Antelope, gazelles and deer are so graceful and beautiful. There is something compelling in the way they move and hold themselves. An almost serene, composure that is both enviable and enigmatic. I’ve been lucky to see a good selection of different species, living so close to Marwell zoo, and have always been drawn to their beauty and dignity.
On one of my many visits to the zoo I was doing my usual route around, waiting to see what presented itself that day, when I decided to enter the bongo house on the off chance they were reasonably visible. Bongo are very shy and it’s not often they come too close. However this particular day was quite quiet and on this occasion they were all peacefully resting at quite close proximity. I spent absolutely ages just looking at them, taking in their sheer beauty. I was captivated by their beautiful faces which had an almost velvet like texture over the nose and cheeks and the most wonderful eyes which just seemed to drink you in. I felt privileged to be standing so close to them and to have such a wonderful opportunity to study them close at hand.
Both male and female bongo have horns that spiral upwards in one complete twist, however, I noticed one particular bongo who had one horn twisted at an unusual angle. I was interested in how this seemed to transform his whole face and the way he looked compared to the others. I then began to wonder what may have happened to him for the horn to have developed that way, and before I knew it I had my subject!
When I was composing this painting I always had in my head that I would fade the body off, but I hadn’t planned to crop off the horns. However as the picture developed it became apparent that the wonderful contours of the horns disappearing off the page gave added power and impact. This is one of my favourite paintings to date. I hope you like it.
Bongo are the largest forest dwelling antelope and despite being quite heavy set and having a slightly unusual posture in that they’re almost hunchbacked, they still manage to maintain an air of grace. Although located in west and central Africa and Kenya, they have suffered greatly through habitat destruction over the years and are now classified as endangered in the wild.
Where can I learn more about the Bongo?
If you are interested in learning more about the beautiful Bongo take a look at these sites: