Renowned wildlife artist Robert Bateman considers "Vigilance" his most important bald eagle painting. He says, "There is an empty quadrant in the upper left of the painting, because empty space is essential and meaningful to me as it was to the ancient orientals. Vigilance also has a kind of 'now you see it, now you don't' quality. Like the effect of ink on silk, the painting looks flat, but it has depth. The strong verticals of the trees and the cliffs are also related to these oriental schools of art. The snow adds a seasonal note that makes the painting a moment in time, like a tapestry."