The Bear by Zdenek Burian


 I've already discussed this a bit in the Our Continent post. 

It is a painting by Czech artist Zdenek Burian that had already appeared in his Life Before Man book. It is shown here in Our Continent. I used to take these books out from the library all the time. I now own copies of them.  Our Continent was one I begged my folks to order from NG, and as I re-discovered, it was for my twelfth birthday. 

It shows what I first assumed was a Eurasian cave bear (Ursus Spelaeus), among the vastness of the Eurasian taiga. However, taiga stretched across North America as well. Our Continent, suggests this is a North American short-face, the largest and probably fiercest bear species of all time. If so, it should actually be taller and rangier, so I still have my doubts as to what species Burian sought to depict. 

The painting is mesmerizing to me, giving the impression of the vast wild wilderness before any civilization on earth. Humans were around, Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal, but the entire earth was one mighty wilderness. The vastness of the taiga recedes, fading into the distance, while the meandering river leads the eye to exactly what Burian intended as the center piece, namely the bear itself, which might as well have spotlight shone upon it. 

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