Prehistoric Life Murals

William Stout: Prehistoric Life Murals is an astonishing look at dinosaurs and their primeval worlds. This lavishly illustrated 144-page volume contains all of Stout’s stunning murals for The Houston Museum of Natural Science, Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom, and the San Diego Natural History Museum. In 1981, award-winning paleoartist Stout’s critically acclaimed book The Dinosaurs - A Fantastic New View of a Lost Era launched the ongoing public renaissance in the reexamination and revision of dinosaur appearance, intelligence and lifestyles. Michael Crichton acknowledged this legendary masterwork as an inspiration for Jurassic Park. Now Stout has returned to take us on a new journey, deeper into Earth’s primordial past.

Following in the tradition of legendary paleoartists Charles R. Knight and Rudolph F. Zallinger, Stout’s murals of extinct predators and prey dramatically capture our imaginations. Incorporating the latest paleontological evidence, the artist breathes life into prehistoric creatures that are both scientifically accurate and emotionally stimulating. Beyond the book’s inherent scientific content, Stout’s detailed commentary guides readers through his creative process. Variations between the different stages in each mural’s development are explained in entertaining and easy-to-read text. Included are preliminary drawings, color studies, and one-quarter-scale oil paintings, guiding the reader through Stout’s meticulous step-by-step methodology from initial design to finished masterpiece.

Influenced by landscape painter Thomas Moran, whose work inspired the formation of America’s National Parks, Stout creates vistas of a world that existed millions of years ago. The highlight of the book is Stout’s recent twelve mural commission by the San Diego Natural History Museum, which includes oil paintings up to thirty-four feet long. Through Paleozoic fish and reptiles, Cretaceous dinosaurs and sea creatures, then concluding with Ice Age mastodons and saber-toothed cats, vast panoramas of varied prehistoric worlds unfold in this handsome full color collection. Like Knight and Zallinger before him, Stout has created murals that will amaze viewers, inspire future generations of budding artists, and enthrall eager young dinosaur hunters for decades to come.