Robert Bateman was born in Toronto in 1930. The first 20 years of his career were spent as a high school teacher until in 1976 he left teaching to become a full-time artist.
At an early age, Bateman began with a representational style, inspired by The Group of Seven. He then moved through impressionism and cubism to abstract expressionism, strongly influecned by the work of Franz Kilne, before returning to realism in his early thirties.
His work started to receive major recognition in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1999, the Audubon Society of Canada declared Bateman one of the top 100 environmental proponents of the twentieth century.
Robert Bateman's realistic and evocative painting style reflects his deep understanding and appreciation for nature, featuring wildlife in its natural habitat and encouraging the viewer to closely observe the natural world. He is a spokesman for many environmental and preservation issues, using his art to raise millions of dollars for these causes.