Peter Beard

Peter Beard was an American photographer, artist and diarist renowned for his distinctive blend of art and documentation, particularly in his evocative depictions of Africa’s wildlife and landscapes. Born in 1938 in New York, Beard studied at Yale University. There, he was influenced by his mentors including Josef Albers, Richard Lindner and Vincent Scully.

Beard’s lifelong exploration of the boundaries between man and nature was fuelled by visits to the Natural History Museum and Central Park Zoo as a child living in New York City. His deep connection with Africa began in the late 1950s, working at Tsavo National Park in Kenya photographing and documenting the man-made destruction of wildelife, which later became the subject of his first book The End of the Game (1965). Beard moved to Kenya in the 1960s and established Hog Ranch, which became a home and studio.

For the next 50 years, Beard immersed himself in writing books and documenting his local environment. Beard’s photography is celebrated for its raw, vivid portrayal of African wildlife, particularly elephants, and the environmental issues affecting them. His images often highlighted the tragic consequences of poaching and human encroachment on natural habitats, making his work as much about activism as it was about art. Over multiple decades of growth and experiences in Kenya, Beard has communicated on behalf of the endangered through a lens of African sensibility.

Throughout his life, Beard lived and worked between New York, Montauk and Kenya. During the 1970s, the photographer began working for fashion magazines and became a fixture at Studio 54. Beard’s social circle included a who’s who of 20th-century artists and celebrities, which significantly influenced his work. His friendships with figures like Andy Warhol, Francis Bacon and Salvador Dalí added layers to his artistic output.

Peter Beard died in 2020 at the age of 82. His legacy endures through his powerful images and unwavering commitment to both art and conservation. In 2017, Christie’s sold his work Orphaned Cheetah Cubs, Mweiga, near Nyeri , Kenya, March 1968, for US$672,500, setting a world auction record for the artist.