Bayard Osborn was born in 1922 in New York City into a very wealthy and influential family. His father’s family, the Osborns, were influential businessmen and philanthropists of great wealth, originating in England. His mother’s family, the La Farges, were originally French and American artists and intellectuals. Osborn was the middle child of three children. He and his two brothers were raised by governesses in New York City and on the family’s country estate in Saunderstown (Rhode Island). The boys had a great sense of adventure and loved to sail in their own sailboat in the Narragansett Bay, and Osborn and his younger brother were allowed to roam free in the country, where little adult supervision was given, growing into strong, fearless and independent individuals.

Osborn studied at the Art Students League in New York and at Harvard in 1940 but soon dropped out of university to devote himself fully to making art and what would lead to a life’s passion in painting and sculpture. This interest and passion for art was influenced by his family, particularly stemming from his Mother’s side.

He was already beginning to stand out as an artist when the Second World War began. In 1942 Osborn, having already dropped out of Harvard University, volunteered for the U.S. Army Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion and fought on the European Front under General Patton, where he would live through the horrors of the trenches. He was awarded the Bronze Medal for heroic action in combat. On 5 May 1945 the camp at Mauthausen was approached by a squad of US Army Soldiers of the 41st Reconnaissance Squadron of the US 11th Armoured Division, 3rd US Army. Osborn was in that squad. In his own words, 'I walked in with a couple of soldiers to an extermination camp without any warning - we didn't know what was there,' he recalled in an interview with Ben Luke (The Olive Press, Western Edition, Issue 11). 'We came upon this huge thing. It was huge. I think no one is prepared for something like that but I think I was less prepared than most people.'

After the war ended, Osborn returned to the United States, where he continued to develop as an artist. He became more involved in the American art scene, with associations such as Abstract Expressionist Guitou Knoop and others, including family friend and American artist Isamu Noguchi and American architect and designer Buckminster Fuller. Osborn had a great interest in architecture. In 1949 he started to earn a living by designing and building country houses. In 1955 Osborn moved to New York, where he renovated his first house. This love of architectural design was a continual interest right through to the end of his life. 

In 1957 Osborn visited Spain on honeymoon with his second wife. He wanted to get to know the homeland of so many painters he deeply admired, such as Picasso and Goya. Andalusia made such an impression on him that he decided to stay. Osborn settled in Torremolinos and later in Churriana and finally Gaucin. It was not just the light, but also the people, the traditions and the architecture, that captivated his attention and ultimately much of his artistic inspiration as his early paintings show. During this time his art evolved dramatically, from his deep love of the cork oak forests that adorned the Serranía de Ronda mountains that feature in his printmaking to his experiments in sculpture. Osborn had a great fascination with gadgets and technological advances, possibly due to his industrialist father. As a result he developed innovative techniques with polystyrene that he covered with special materials until he achieved the touch and appearance of stone. At that time he also began to work with metal and bronze, manipulating the materials to produce intense and dark forms.