John James Audubon (American, 1785–1851) was born in Les Cages, Santo Domingo (now Haiti) in 1785 and raised in France. From a young age, he enjoyed exploring the outdoors, particularly collecting items like nests and eggs and drawing them. Audubon moved to Pennsylvania in 1803 and spent the next several years moving around the US, taking odd jobs like taxidermy and drawing chalk portraits. In 1822, Audubon focused on publishing his drawings of birds and wildlife. He studied oil painting and watercolor before returning to England in 1826 to find financial support for his project. He landed on the London engraving firm, Robert Havell & Son. Audubon traveled between the US and England for several years to gather specimens and prepare the folio which became the famous Birds of America, composed of 435 hand-colored engravings of 1,065 birds of 489 species. Audubon’s drawings are famed for their lively appearance, accuracy, and dramatic poses. Audubon also closely documented the animals and his experiences, published in his Ornithological Biography. He became widely celebrated in the US and produced two subsequent publications, The Birds of America with smaller, lithograph illustrations (the Royal Octavo edition) and The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America. His works are held by many major institutions, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Library of Congress.
16 works
16 works
