Arthur Singer – The Wildlife Art of an American Master

Arthur Singer, (b.1917) emerged in the 1950s as one of the world’s finest illustrators and painters of birds and helped redefine the concept of the bird guide with his 1966 release, The Golden Field Guide to Birds of North America. His fascination with wildlife began early, with regular visits to the Bronx Zoo. By his mid-teens, Singer had already created a substantial body of early work, compositions drawn from first-hand observations of big game animals and birds at the zoo. His interest in wildlife art led him directly to the work of Audubon and Fuertes as well as a vision of what he later hoped to accomplish. After a formal art education at the Cooper Union and four years of service in the war, he settled into family life and a job as an art director, while pursuing his dream of being a wildlife artist. After the set of prints State Birds comissioned for the American Home Magazine had achieved enormous success, Singer was offered several contracts to illustrate books on birds. The year was 1958 and Singer became a full-time bird painter.

Arthur Singer: The Wildlife Art of an American Master written by his sons Paul and Alan Singer is published by RIT Press, June 2017. It documents Singer’s life and work, which has been enjoyed by millions in books, magazines, prints and commemorative stamps.

RIT Press publication

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