Simon Combes the Crossing 1988 Wildebeest Landscape Signed Lithograph

Vintage 1988 Simon Combes “The Crossing” lithograph print. The Crossing reveals one of the great wonders of the animal world, the annual wildebeest migration in East Africa. This piece was framed using 200 year old Georgia Heart Pine molding from an old plantation. Includes COA and plaque. 549 of 1250.

“Crossing this river is the single most dangerous undertaking in a wildebeest’s turbulent year,” Combes explains. “In August, when the Serengeti shimmers with heat, the vast herds of wildebeest are desperate to reach the fertile grazing lands of southern Kenya. When the enormous hordes reach the crocodile-infested Mara River, tragedy can strike as some drown in crossing. Nothing can stop the animals in mid-crossing from trampling, jostling and panicking in their efforts to reach the safety of the far bank. This is not always the case, as in ‘The Crossing,’ which shows its herd making a comparatively smooth passage.

“I attempted to create a contrast between the struggling, tension-packed chaos of the left bank and the peaceful greenness of new pastures on the right. The inclusion of a stark dead tree, vultures, marabou storks, swirling dust and the ominous interest of two hungry lions hopefully emphasized the frantic atmosphere of the thousands still waiting to cross . . . while in the background, a pride of lions keeps watch.”

Simon was born in Shaftesbury, England, in 1940 and, at the age of six, moved with his family to an 800-acre farm in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. At the age of 18, he took a job in western Kenya, managing a 2,000-acre farm with about 150 employees. The following year he was drafted, serving in the Kenya regiment. He then applied for and received a commission in the King’s African Rifles.
Combes’ subsequent adventures included fighting in a guerrilla war with Somalia, leading Kenya’s new airborne unit (requiring a visit to Parachute School in England) and promotion to major at the tender age of 24. Of greater significance, perhaps, was the start of a new hobby. During moments of inactivity in the northern desert, Simon began to draw, and eventually paint, the local nomadic people and the landscape in which they lived.

In 1969, he was persuaded to stage an exhibition of his work in Nairobi’s New Stanley Art Gallery. The show was a near sell-out and an idea about an alternate career began to form in Combes’ mind. Someone made the suggestion that he paint wildlife and the creative seed was sown. In 1974, Combes said farewell to the army, bought a small house on the outskirts of Nairobi and set up shop as a freelance artist.

In the three decades since, he achieved worldwide success, countless commissions and many prestigious awards—including the Society of Animal Artists’ Award of Excellence. He was chosen “Artist of the Year” for the 1994 Pacific Rim Wildlife Art Show. The success of his work has aided Combes as he seeks to raise awareness of wildlife conservation; he has made contributions and served on the councils of several conservation organizations. In June 2003 Combes was appointed Project Director Kenya for the UK based Conservation organization The Rhino Rescue Trust.

Combes is the author and artist of two critically-acclaimed books Great Cats and An African Experience.

Dimensions:
51″ x 1.25″ x 27.5″ / Sans Frame – 41″ x 18″ (Width x Depth x Height)