Tuesday, April 12, 2011

An Artist's Fancy?


Many lithographs, both circus and zoological, woodcuts, zoological sketches etc. need to be analyzed and accepted for what they are, fascinating works of art with doubtful validity or fact. This zoological painting, above, done by George Stubbs in 1789 is titled "Albino-Makake und Pavian." If I am interpreting that correctly it means, "Albino Baboon and Macaque." It sure looks to me like a Hamadryas baboon and a Drill baboon. Do you suppose the silvery color of the Hamadryas led Mr. Stubbs to assume it was an "Albino?"

Hamadryas Baboon

Drill baboon

Pound for pound a male baboon, in my opinion, is probably the most fearsome, dangerous creature on earth.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wade,
don't be scared of the unknown.I have heard stories about Mandrill,Hamadryas and Olive/Chacma baboon's and I reckon as most things it is an individual thing.My experience has been Mandrill and I haven't come across an animal that would chew on me from roughly 15 caprive born animals.It is a small representation and I know of other stories that would contradict.I love them just the same.By the way Australia is as good as ever.Dubvegas is proving to be a 'hoot' and sorry to hear the news of Oasis recently.

Cheers
Glenn

Wade G. Burck said...

Glenn,
It's not the unknown, it's the been there done that. Years ago, Carmen Hall as a "joke" sicked her 6 year old male Mandrill Suki on me. I was sitting on the couch, getting ready to enjoy a cup of coffee when Carmen walked in the door and let him go. Stupid ass ape monkey jumped into my lap put his nose against my nose, flashed his white lids, opened his mouth full of the most vicious teeth I have ever seen, sat back and flashed his white lids one more time just to make sure I knew who the Daddy was. "G*d Dam**t Carmen, get him off of me" I managed to say through clenched teeth. Carmen laughed and said, "he want's your coffee and won't move until he get's it." Stupid ass monkey made me put 4 sugar's in it, AND STIR IT FOR HIM before he went and sat in the chair and drank it. That's the day I learned the expression "so scared I shit myself" was not true. Actually what happens is you get so locked up and tight you can't even push air out. That's a fact. I hope I die before a male Mandrill, Hamadryas, Chacma or Drill ever run's at me again to make a point about who the man is. You can have them Glenn. I don't want to be within a hundred miles of one if they do decide to "chew on you."
Have you hooked up with Darling Down Robinson yet? What new's about Oasis? I must have missed that.
Be safe,
Wade