Lot #7: Robert Bateman SIGNED "Endangered Spaces – Grizzly" Numbered Framed Print (2490/4008)

Robert Bateman "Endangered Spaces – Grizzly" Signed & Numbered Limited Edition Lithograph (2490/4008) – Professionally Framed with Original COA & Earth Day Documentation Up for auction is a magnificent, investment-grade investment piece by Canada’s premier wildlife artist, Robert Bateman. This limited-edition paper lithograph, titled "Endangered Spaces – Grizzly," perfectly showcases Bateman's unparalleled capability to blend hyper-realistic accuracy with raw, cinematic narrative. This specific piece is hand-numbered 2490/4008 and features a crisp, distinct pencil signature by the artist in the lower right margin. It arrives beautifully housed in a high-end, gallery-quality frame, measuring approximately 38.5" x 29.25", complete with professional multi-tonal matting that accents the cool tones of the crashing river water. Why This Specific Piece Stands Above the Rest While many Robert Bateman prints circulate on the secondary market, this listing possesses a rare trifecta of premium attributes that dramatically elevates its collector value: • The "Collector Gold Standard" Documentation: Many Bateman prints have lost their accompanying paperwork over the decades. This piece includes the complete original documentation package, featuring the official artist registry card, the detailed descriptive narrative insert, and the historical "Celebrate Earth Day" background context. • Pristine Presentation: The print has been carefully preserved under a stunning, archival-grade triple-matting scheme. The premium frame is structurally sound, clean, and ready to immediately hang as a commanding centerpiece in a home, office, or cabin. • Flawless Signatures: Unlike faded examples exposed to direct UV rays, both the printed plate signature ("Robert Bateman 1990") and the hand-signed graphite signature retain absolute crispness and sharp contrast against the pristine white margins. Historical Background & Artistic Significance Painted in 1990, this iconic work holds deep environmental importance. It was commissioned alongside an international environmental campaign supported by HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands to celebrate Earth Day. Rather than focusing narrowly on an "endangered species," Bateman intentionally titled it "Endangered Spaces" to broadcast a critical message: we cannot save wildlife without fiercely protecting the untamed wilderness they require to survive. The scene depicts a powerful, mature grizzly bear charging through an explosion of whitewater. Bateman notes that he composed the two glaucous-winged gulls exploding out beyond the borders of the central frame to give the viewer a visceral, panoramic sense of a vast, uncontained wild world—creating intense dynamic tension where you, the viewer, feel like an intruder in the bear's sovereign territory. Specifications • Artist: Robert Bateman (Canadian, b. 1930) • Title: Endangered Spaces – Grizzly • Year of Original: 1990 • Edition Number: 2490 / 4008 (Hand-numbered in pencil) • Signature: Hand-signed by the artist in graphite • Image Size: Approx. 19.25" x 28.875" • Frame Size: Approx. 38.5" x 29.25" Pickup category timeslot {A}