"Ladies
of the Night"
Oil 24x48
Price on request
The night was balmy, for the camp was
at low altitude in the southern part of British East Africa
(now Kenya). Had it been daylight, the snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro
would have been visible. The British naturalists had just returned
to their camp after visiting another naturalist in an adjacent
camp. The two naturalists had been warned by their neighbor
that lions had been seen in their camp that day and were told
to take care on their journey back, returning in the dark. The
neighbor was sure that there was a male and several lionesses
and that they might still be close to camp. The two men were
wary as they lit a fire and prepared to eat a meal. As one tended
the fire, the other kept watch, peering into the inky blackness
of the African night. All 'round them there was rustling in
the bush; from time to time the male could be heard just a few
yards off to their right and a female a similar distance to the
left. Every now and then they could see eyes from several lions
being reflected from their lamps, which periodically were being
held up. It seemed that the small clearing was completely surrounded
by lions. It was hard to tell how many there were, but it was
disconcerting to the two men. Only the small tent was their
sanctuary. It was a fitful night for the two, as the lions circled
the tent and daybreak brought relief if not reassurance. As
they gingerly opened the flap to the tent, they could see the
myriad of tracks right alongside the wall of the tent. With
the lions curiosity quelled, along with the rising sun, they
had now seemingly vanished back into the bush and gone down for
the day.
My painting shows the tent and some of
the naturalists' gear ,as the lionesses walk boldly towards the
camp during the night a visit to be remembered by the
Ladies of the Night.
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