“Five O’Clock, June,” Robert Spencer, 1913. Oil on canvas courtesy of Richard and Mary Radcliffe.

NEW YORK CITY – Spanierman Gallery will exhibit “Dan Ostermiller: Sculptor” through May 19 at 45 East 8th Street.

Renowned for the individuality of his technique and for his distinctive vision, Ostermiller is a skilled craftsman who portrays his subjects with an emphasis on beauty and grace, as well as on anatomical accuracy. His thorough understanding of animal physiology, coupled with his uncanny ability to capture the mannerisms and movements of his subjects, is the direct result of his experience as a taxidermist, as well as his extensive exposure to wildlife within their natural habitat.

Ostermiller depicts a wide array of animals from both North American and Africa, ranging from wild buffalo, elephants, and bears to domestic farm animals such as cats, dogs and rabbits. Diversity of his art and his tendency to view his subjects as individual “characters” each with personalities and inner lives of their own, are revealed in this exhibition of 38 sculptures, comprised, in Ostermiller’s words, of “some old themes with a new view and some new subjects inspired not only by my growth as an artist but by life’s experiences.”

The artist’s “Kudo Cow,” her stance poised and alert, was motivated by a recent trip to the Okavango region of Botswana, while the aptly titled “Le Grand-Pere” is not just a depiction of an elderly grizzly, but “representative of the quest that turns the process of aging into a celebration.” Ostermiller’s ability to suggest the emotional bond between animals is revealed to perfection in “Pad Sisters (Study)” and “Tres Osos.” And when viewing his “Scottish Angus Cow,” an example of his tendency to render animals in quiet repose, the words “sensuous” and “Rubenesque” come to mind.

For information, 212-832-0208.