The Wise One – Old Cow Elephant
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69 1/4” x 93 1/4”, acrylic, 1986
Elephants live in fairly complex societies, and within those societies it is the old females that are considered the most important. Virtually all large elephant herds are composed of females and young. When a juvenile male starts taking an interest in the opposite sex, he is expelled from the herd. It is usually the female elephant that is the most dangerous. When the male elephant charges, chances are he is just bluffing. The female usually means business. This is because she would have young to protect. The oldest elephants obviously have the most experience, and one old grandmother is usually the acknowledged leader or wise one. I sometimes get tired of the portrayal of only trophy animals. This old elephant has worn her tusks through years and through countless experiences.