Carl Brenders (Belgian American, b. 1937), Muskrat Swimming

Mixed media on paper, signed at lower right, matted and framed under glass.

Sight size 4 x 8 3/4 in.; Frame dimensions 12 x 17 in.

Gallery One, Mentor, Ohio
Acquired from the above in 2011

This original painting was reproduced in the American edition of Brender’s 1982 European book series, The Secret Life of Animals (Nature’s Hidden World).

Carl Brenders is an internationally recognized wildlife artist celebrated for the extraordinary detail and realism of his paintings. Born in Belgium, he studied at the Fine Arts Academy of Antwerp and in Berchem before beginning his career as an illustrator for European publishers. His wildlife illustrations for the French series La vie secrète des bêtes, later published in English as Nature’s Hidden World, established the meticulous observation of animals and their habitats that would become his hallmark. Working primarily in watercolor and gouache, Brenders combines extensive field research with precise draftsmanship to capture the texture, character, and natural environments of his subjects.

Brenders has received numerous honors, including Master Artist at the Woodson Art Museum’s Birds in Art exhibition in 2002 and induction into the U.S. Art Hall of Fame in 1998. His work is held in prominent collections including the Woodson Art Museum and National Museum of Wildlife Art. In 1997, a major retrospective, Artistry in Nature: The Wildlife Paintings of Carl Brenders, opened at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and subsequently traveled to several American institutions.

Good estate condition; not examined out of the frame.