From the age of four, Charles Livingston Bull (1847-1932) had a profound interest in animals and nature and a definitive talent for drawing. While in school at the Rochester Institute of Technology, he obtained an apprenticeship in taxidermy, learning the complete anatomy of many animals. Yet taxidermy was not entirely satisfying for Bull; after work he spent hours at the zoo sketching animals and took night classes at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. After seven years of sketching, Bull left for New York to pursue a career in illustration. Known chiefly as an animal illustrator, Bull literally drew from his experience as a taxidermist at the National Museum in Washington, D.C. He painted 19 covers for the Post over a span of 28 years. In his work, Bull displays strong elements of design, typically flat and decorative. His images, whether an eagle soaring in flight or a fox on the prowl, gave a majestic, even startling, life and grace to his wild subjects.

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