"Decision
Time"
Oil on panel, 16 x 20
Price on request
The year is 1909, and the safari caravan
has been traveling for two days in the dry prickly heat of British
East Africa. There are one hundred ninety-six porters, in addition
to askaris, tent boys, gun-bearers and saises. As well as those
on foot, there are ox wagons carrying the necessary supplies,
skins and taxidermy equipment. The hunting party leads the caravan
on horseback, setting up fly camps en-route to rest both man
and beast. Although they traveled at the cooler times of the
day, and rested in the midday heat, the journey is exhausting,
but everyone is in high spirits.
To manage such a safari takes great skill
and knowledge of the land. There are hills to climb, dry riverbeds
to follow and water to ford. The safari is that of Theodore
Roosevelt and the leader is R.J. Cunninghame, and he has chosen
his head men well. The caravan arrives at a river, Cunninghame
dismounts and moves to the edge of the bank to see where would
be the best place to cross. TR remains on his mount until a
decision has been made. More than likely one of the porters
will be sent to check its depth after first making sure there
are not crocodiles or hippos lying in wait.
During Roosevelts year-long safari,
many bodies of water had to be crossed, and the decision whether
to cross or not had to be made on a regular basis.
My painting doesnt depict a specific
river, merely a moment in time, which was probably a regular
occurrence, for this and other safaris at this time.
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