Robert Bateman's Art

Throughout the journey around the world, Bob Bateman tirelessly created art to record his experiences. In many ways, the art can be more expressive and revealing than the photographs as each work carries with it, Bateman’s experience. Arriving in Africa with a bias towards abstract expressionism, Bateman has an epiphany somewhere at the beginning of Central Africa. He realized he was not ‘paying attention’ – a theme he would often return to later in life. He began truly looking and recording what he saw. Very quickly, his sketchbooks and quick paintings became fluid, skillful and arresting. [Note: all images here ©Robert Bateman]

This website page contains a number of carousels below.

English Village Sketch

Location unknown.

Waves & Seabird

Bateman found the voyage from Liverpool to Ghana a bit tedious. Especially with respect to art-making. Here is a wave painting – one of a few he did. Note the seabird skimming the waves. Never could Bateman present an ecosystem without some evidence of its denizens.

Anchor Chain

Laundry

What do you paint after 10 days at sea?

Self-portrait?

Bristol Reading

Africa

Forest Camp

Location unknown. Likely in the Cameroons as the painting style still reflects the dark, somber look of Bateman's mid-fifties paintings.

Forest River

Likely in the Cameroons

The Grizzly Torque

Location unkown. Possibly the mountainous region of the Cameroons or Nepal.

Forest Walkers

Sketched somewhere between West Africa and the Congo.

Portrait of a Nigerian Woman

In the early stage of the trip, Bateman's full paintings resembled the darker, heavier style he pursued in the 50's. Quickly, his portraits become fresh and intimate.

The Grizzly Torque

This image is likely from a stop near the Lindi River in the congo where they rested and Bristol went off looking for orchids.

Congo Sketchbook

Already the sketchbook pages are getting more detailed and skillful.

Rainforest with Boat

Perhaps somewhere in the Congo on a tributary of the Congo River.

Three Women

Bateman also began creating intimate quick sketches that proved extraordinarily evocative of his experience. He finished this sketch in perhaps a few minutes.

October 14, 1957

This is drawn in the vicinity of Bangui on the edge of the Congo River basin. Here western exploitation of the rainforest for coffee and plam plantations is becoming evident.

Butembo Sketchbook

More evidence of exploitation as per last image.

Along the Ubangi River

This sketchbook page is from October 16/17 as they encounter more open land and villages northwest of the Congo basin.

Stanleyville Sketchbook

In these pages from the ringbound notebooks Bateman began recording the trip from a different viewpoint after his epiphany.

Mbuti Portraits

Drawn during the Rover Boys stay at Camp Putnam in the Ituri Forest.

Okapi Impression

This was probably painted of an Okapi in captivity at the decrepit Belgian zoo located near Camp Putnam in the Ituri Forest. Somehow the unusual treatment evokes its misery.

Mbuti Portrait

Camp Putnam.

Women Dancing

Large-eared Bat

The Rover Boys collected specimens for western museums. They were especially fascinated by bats.

Mouse & Bird Sketchbook

....and mice. They did NOT trap birds.

Rwanda Sketchbook

A rare glimpse of Rwanda/Burundi before all the trouble.

Foothills of Rwenzori

This sketchbook page drawn probably as they waited for their guides and porters.

Lower Slopes

This forbidding image captures their last relatively full view of the Mountains of The Moon before they began climbing.

Lush Clifface

On the first day of the climb, they were delighted to find a lush vertical landscape seemingly out of a scifi movie.

Mountains of The Moon

Periodically the clouds would part afford quick glimpses of the mountains. Too dark and too transitory for camers but Bateman was able to catch an impression.

Uganda/Kenya

As they drive into northern Kenya around the top of Lake Victoria, signs of British colonial rule begin to appear. Note the increasing sophisitcation of the sketchbooks. Remember, Bateman was drwing these AS THEY DROVE!

Massai Sketchbook

Drawn just before Christmas near the Ngorogoro Crate in Tanzania.

Masaai Settlements Sketchbook

Masaai Herders

Man in Kenya Portrait

Not sure who this is but perhaps from the norther farming region.

Giraffe Sketches

Rhino

India

Mother & Daughter

Woman sleeping with children

Water Buffalo

Likely seen at Baratpur Reserve

India Landscape

Probably seen around the time of the 'Accident'

Man with Turban

Unknown. But probably in Banaras

Ganges Sketchbook

Ganges Sketchbook 2

Baratpur Birds

The Rover Boys went back rto the Baratpur Marshes twice. They would both return there later in life.

Carts sketchbook

Ganges Boats

Calcutta

Nepal & Sikkim

Nepal

In the intervening 65 years, the images of Nepal and Sikkim become confused. Both vantage points afforded views of the Himalayas. And their histories were entwined.

Nepal Sketchbook

This page was labelled as Nepal but I am frankly unsure. The geography is incorrect as are many of the details. You decide.

Nepalese Portrait

Bateman has come back to this image many times in his career. He views it (approporiately) as seminal to his desire to SEE the world and be paying attention.

Prayer flags

This image also appears in the photo section. Somehow the painting better evokes the spirits on the wind.

Kathmandu Sketchbook

Most of what Bateman captured here was effectively erased in the earthquakes of 2015.

Mountains Painting

probably the view they saw on approaching Nepal

Nepal Road

Perhaps the most evokative of Batemans paintings in Nepal, this captures the challenge of driving the GT over into the valley of Kathmandu.

Kasa of Lahsa Portrait

This portrait of a woman claims to be of Lhasa (Tibet). However, despite attempts through Sikkim, they never made it into Tibet. Possibly sahe was with the group of Tibetan traders they met on the road.

Sikkim Hilltop Painting

Probably far north in Sikkim near the border with Tibet.

Mule Camp

The Rover Boys stopped for the night with a group of Tibetan traders and their mules.

Painting of Mules

BURMA [Myanmar]

Rangoon

The Rover Boys were quite taken with the beautiful women of Rangoon in their white or blush coloured 'longyi' tube dresses.

Boats, Rangoon Harbour

Before they were allowed to disembark, the rover Boys passed the time watching these small taxi boats navigate the swift current of the river.

Village Sketch

given the horizontal geography, this may have been along the route north from Rangoon before they turned east towards the Thai border..

Indigenous Hilltop Hut

This is presumed to be Burma – probably on the western edge of the Shan Highlands.

Hill Tribe Sketchbooks

Bateman drew furious throughout most of Burma.

Burmese Portrait

It is remarkable that Bateman was able to charm women into sitting for portraits. This may have been the wife of the dug lord who invited them to dinner.

Portrait of a Woman

Also possibly the Shawbwa's wife. Bateman did two sittings with her at her husband's request.

Elder in Village Painting

This may be the Italian cleric Bristol befriended in Monghpyak.

Akha Sketchbooks

Perhaps the most fascinating of all the indigenous tribes they met were they Akha – nomads who had migrated into Burma from Tibet.

Akha Village

The Akha maintained a closeknit closed society and, somewhat like the pygmies, would move location when the land around them showed signs of strain from their harvesting.