 |
| Courtesy of Tetrapod Zoology |
Year: 1986
Dinosaurs won't figure too prominently on this list, in large part because the strength of the regional fossil record is post-Cretaceous. That said, Oregon is home to one of the most influential paleoartists of the so-called "Dinosaur Renaissance," and I would be remiss to not feature Mark Hallett's work here. The '70s through the early '90s were a heady time for dinosaur researchers, as new methodologies, new discoveries, and new ways of interpreting old fossils revolutionized our understanding of dinosaur biology. It was also a time when paleoart really blossomed, and Hallett in particular really shone during this era. This is my favorite of his dinosaur paintings, depicting not a fight to the death as Knight might have done or accentuating the monumentality of his subject to an almost supernatural degree as Zallinger did, but a quiet moment between a mother Mamenchisaurus and her offspring. As a Seattleite, I immediately appreciated that this scene seemed to be playing out between squalls on a fall day, and adding that touch of realism made the dinosaurs feel that much more real. This realism and the ability to depict prehistoric animals as just that, animals rather than monsters, is a hallmark of Hallett's work, and it's never been on clearer display than in Crossing the Flats.
Want to see more? This painting was prominently featured in the Natural History Museum of LA County's groundbreaking paleoart exhibition "Dinosaurs Past to Present" and is prominently featured in the exhibit catalog. I believe that the original is still owned by the LACM, but at least last time I was there it was not on display.
No comments:
Post a Comment