Signed; Walton Ford - Pancha Tantra - 2015

Walton Ford

Signed and inscribed by Walton Ford on the title page (see photos).

Very good condition.

At first glance, Walton Ford’s large-scale, highly-detailed watercolors of animals evoke the prints of 19th-century illustrators John James Audubon and Edward Lear. A closer look reveals a complex anthropomorphic universe, full of symbols, sly jokes, and allusions to the ‘operatic’ nature of traditional natural history.

In this stunning but sinister visual world, beasts and birds are not merely aesthetic objects but active participants in allegorical struggles: a wild turkey crushes a small parrot with its claw; a troupe of monkeys causes chaos at a formal dinner table; an American buffalo is encircled by bloodied white wolves. Rendered in dazzling watercolor, the images impress as much for their impeccable naturalism as for their complex narratives.

This updated edition of Pancha Tantra features the artist’s most recent works and contextualizes his collection of bestial tableaux with an in-depth exploration of his oeuvre, a complete biography, and excerpts from his textual inspirations: Vietnamese folktales and the letters of Benjamin Franklin, the Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini, and Audubon’s Ornithological Biography.

Walton Ford (born 1960 in Larchmont, New York) is an American visual artist who creates paintings and prints in the style of naturalist illustrations, often depicting extinct species. In his more recent series of works, such as those shown in his 2025 'Tutto' exhibition at Gagosian Gallery in New York City, he has adopted a more painterly approach. Each of his paintings is a meticulous, realistic study of flora and fauna, filled with symbols, clues, and jokes referencing texts ranging from colonial literature to folktales to travel guides. The paintings are complex allegorical narratives that critique the history of colonialism, industrialism, politics, natural science, and humanity's impact on the environment.

Fast shipping and very careful packaging (cardboard and bubble wrap, with book corners packed very well).