BOB KUHN
(1920
- 2007
)
Bob Kuhn was one of the leading
painters of animals shown in dramatic action. This ability to
arrest the animals in motion sets him apart from the other
contemporary painters of North American and African wildlife.
He was born in Buffalo, New York in 1920. He was
intrigued since boyhood by the animal kingdom. His earliest
contacts with large mammals were made at the Buffalo Zoo.
After completing public high school in Buffalo, Kuhn studied
commercial art for three years at the Pratt Institute. He
worked steadily as an illustrator from 1940 to 1970, taking
only a year and a half off to serve as a merchant seaman in
World War II.
Kuhn was an illustrator for such outdoor magazines as Field
and Stream, True and Outdoor Life. He also
designed illustrations for books and advertisements. I n 1964,
he started painting for the Remington Arms Company Game Art
Calendar.
In 1970, he resigned from all of his commercial accounts in
order to devote himself exclusively to easel painting of
wildlife. He soon won awards and medals at such
distinguished shows as the National Academy of Western Art and
The Cowboy Hall of Fame Wildlife Art Show.
Kuhn was influenced by Paul Branson, who was known as the
"dean of animal artists", and in turn, assisted many
younger wildlife artists in their careers. He studied
animals on location all over North America and Africa.
