Overview

The first career-spanning volume on Jay Matternes (b. 1933), whose scientific rigor and artistic skill set a new standard in natural history illustration. Millions have grown up inspired by Jay Matternes' murals of extinct mammals at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and the American Museum of Natural History. Others have savored his depictions of human origins in such prestigious publications as Science, National Geographic, Scientific American, and Natural History. Matternes' art has also graced popular books by such trailblazing wildlife scientists as Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Louis Leakey. Now, for the first time, the entire scope of Matternes' achievement is revealed in this full-color retrospective, prepared with the artist's full cooperation and featuring many works never before published. Here are his depictions of living species, whose anatomical accuracy and vivid detail owe much to Matternes' lifelong devotion to painting from nature: the wildlife of Africa, the birds of America, chimpanzees and gorillas, and more. Here, too, is his paleoart, meticulously reconstructed from the fossil evidence and ranging from dinosaurs, through the rise of mammals, to our hominid ancestors-including Matternes' groundbreaking reconstruction of the 4.4-million-year-old hominin Ardipithecus, on which he labored in secrecy for more than a decade. The highly readable text includes, among other special features, selections from the artist's twenty-year correspondence with the late Dian Fossey. Jay Matternes: Paleoartist and Wildlife Painter will be an essential volume not only for aspiring illustrators and paleoartists, but for anyone with an interest in the natural world and how we visualize it. AUTHORS: Richard Milner is an anthropologist and historian of science whose books include Charles R. Knight: The Artist Who Saw through Time and Darwin's Universe: Evolution from A to Z. An Associate at the American Museum of Natural History, Milner has appeared on the History Channel, Discovery, and NPR, and has been profiled in the New York Times and Time Out New York. Ian Tattersall is Curator Emeritus at the American Museum of Natural History and a leading paleoanthropologist. Mauricio Anton is a celebrated paleoartist based in Spain. SELLING POINTS: . The first career-spanning volume on Jay Matternes (b. 1933), the influential paleoartist and wildlife artist who set a new scientific standard in the field . Matternes' accomplishments include his famous murals at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History; numerous illustrations for Science, National Geographic, and Scientific American; and collaborations with eminent scientists like Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Louis Leakey. . This book features beautiful color reproductions of Matternes' paintings of dinosaurs, extinct mammals, human ancestors, African wildlife, and more. Also features never-before-published excerpts from Matternes' twenty-year correspondence with Dian Fossey . Authored by Richard Milner, noted historian of science and Associate of the American Museum of Natural History. . Introductory biographical essay by Ian Tattersall, the eminent paleoanthropologist . Foreword by Mauricio Anton, one of the celebrated contemporary paleoartists influenced by Matternes

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9780789214805

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Reviews

"This beautiful book contains a long overdue collection of one of the world's most iconic and groundbreaking wildlife and paleoartists. Jay Matternes has brought vanished worlds and extinct creatures back to life, and here are many of his previously unpublished wildlife paintings as well. I am absolutely thrilled to see this comprehensive compendium of his work finally come to fruition.--Ray Troll, artist and author Although his name is unknown to the general public, Jay Matternes: Paleoartist and Wildlife Painter has long been eagerly awaited by fans of his work. This book also serves as a ""how to,"" with dozens of studies revealing the artist's thought processes in delineating both prehistoric and contemporary species. This book is essential for anyone who shares a passion for wildlife through the ages and its depiction. --William Stout, paleoartist and muralist In this amazing new book, the splendid art of Jay Matternes is presented as never before. Long renowned for his meticulously researched and accurate depictions of early mammals, dinosaurs, and ancient humans, Matternes also excels at portraying today's animals and historic indigenous peoples with astounding realism, intuition, and empathy. An unequaled treasure! --Mark Hallett, paleoartist and author Jay Matternes' exacting dedication to crucial details of anatomy has generated a magnificent body of work that thoroughly engages the viewer as it restores the ancient world to life, while celebrating the creative energy of the Natural world--from the parade of woolly mammoths and hominins to the family dog. --Donald Johanson, Founding Director, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University"

""In conclusion, I have nothing but praise for this book. The production values are top-notch and I am so pleased that Milner both took his time to write this book, and was able to see it through to completion together with Matternes."" - The Inquisitive Biologist

Author Information

Richard Milner is an anthropologist and historian of science whose books include Charles R. Knight: The Artist Who Saw through Time and Darwin's Universe: Evolution from A to Z. An Associate at the American Museum of Natural History, Milner has appeared on the History Channel, Discovery, and NPR, and has been profiled in the New York Times and Time Out New York. Ian Tattersall is Curator Emeritus at the American Museum of Natural History and a leading paleoanthropologist. Mauricio Anton is a celebrated paleoartist based in Spain.

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