Richard Evett Bishop was born in Syracuse, New York and first studied electrical engineering at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY). In 1909 he joined the Cutler-Hammer Manufacturing Company in Milwaukee, Minnesota as an electrical engineer. 19th century artist Richard Evett Bishop was a Captain in the Army Chemical Warfare Service during World War 1, and following the war he moved to Mt. Airy near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was employed at local copper products manufacturing plant. On a lark Bishop one day took a waste copper printing plate, covered it with wax and using a phonograph needle made his first etching. This was the beginning of his art career, although he remained with the manufacturing plant until 1933, at which time he quit to pursue art full-time. He took classes at the Philadelphia Graphic Sketch Club. Since he was young, he had had a passion for waterfowl hunting, so it is no surprise that Bishop settled on eastern game birds as his subject of choice. In 1924 his "Canada Geese" won the Charles M. Lea prize awarded by the Philadelphia Print Club. This was only the start of his recognition as a wildlife printmaker and oil painter. In 1936 J.N. Darling of U. S. Biological Survey asked if Bishop would allow his Canada Geese drypoint, “Coming In,” to be used for the third Federal Duck Stamp. In that same year he published Bishop's Birds (J. B. Lippincott). During World War II, Bishop became head, and later, Deputy Director of Production Division of the War Production Board in Philadelphia. Following the war Bishop provided the illustrations for Prairie Wings by Edgar Queeney (Ducks Unlimited, 1946). In 1950 and 1953, he organized two African safaris, sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History (NYC) to record native birds and animals on film and soundtrack. In addition to his African travels, Bishop travel throughout north and South America, the United Kingdom and the Pacific Islands. Bishop photographed birds using single-lens photography and high-speed-motion picture cameras to capture their graceful movements. He used the photographs as references for his meticulously detailed paintings. Bishop was a member of the Print Club of Philadelphia, the Chicago Society of Etchers, the Philadelphia Society of Etchers, the Society of American Etchers, Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia Watercolor Club, Philadelphia Art Alliance, and California Printmakers.

High auction record for this artist is $28,080.

Call now to talk about your interest in this Richard Evett Bishop painting: 724-459-0612.

Jerry Hawk, Bedford Fine Art Gallery