Kinship - Lowland Gorilla
Ronald W. Schlorff©
Original (16 x 12) - $1250.00
Gorillas are the largest members of the great ape family and the most powerful of all species of
primates, a group which includes everything from small arboreal creatures such as the tree shrew,
bush babies, several types of monkeys, to humans. The gorilla's prodigious strength is the stuff of
legends and derives from the huge and heavily muscled arms and chest. Their massive canine teeth
evolved primarily for displays of aggression and to deal with their highly fibrous diet of various
types of plants such as bamboo which they consume in quantities that may exceed 60 pounds per
day for adults. Lowland gorillas are found in widely scattered areas in parts of Zaire and Uganda
in equatorial Africa. These magnificent animals live in groups consisting of close family members
and other relatives that may number up to 30 individuals, all of which are under the leadership of
one dominant male. The average weight of males is about 500-600 pounds while females typically
weigh around 300 pounds.
In this painting I've tried to depict a large male silverback in a contemplative mood. Just what is
he thinking as he sits quietly in the dappled light of his rain forest environment? We know that all
animals are the kin of humans and share a common ancestry on this planet; that's why our biological
needs are so similar from mice to men. However, when you gaze into the eyes of one of these great
apes, the real truth of our kinship with them is inescapable.
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