The American artist most famous for his drawings and paintings of birds was John James Audubon (1785-1851). Audubon was born in Haiti and grew up in France, but moved to the United States as a young man and became a pioneering ornithologist and naturalist.
Audubon’s Early Life and Immigration to America
John James Audubon was born Jean-Jacques Audubon on April 26, 1785 in Les Cayes, Haiti. His mother was a French chambermaid, and his father was a French naval officer and plantation owner. Audubon was illegitimate, as his parents never married. His father returned to France in 1785, while Audubon remained in Haiti with his mother until age two. At that time, Jean-Jacques was taken to France to be raised by his father and his wife.
Audubon grew up in Nantes, France with his half-sister. He had a privileged upbringing and developed a love for studying and drawing birds at an early age. When Audubon was 18, his father sent him to America to escape conscription in Napoleon’s army. He settled in Pennsylvania and anglicized his name to John James Audubon.
Audubon’s Passion for Studying and Painting Birds
After moving to America in 1803, Audubon quickly developed a passion for roaming the countryside to study and paint birds. He filled dozens of journals with his ornithological observations and quickly amassed a large collection of bird drawings and paintings.
Audubon eked out a living running various small businesses, including a general store, mill, and taxidermy business. But he always dedicated his free time to studying birds in nature and perfecting his skills as an artist. He used wires and pins to pose the bird specimens he collected in lifelike positions before painting them.
Publication of Birds of America
In 1826, Audubon traveled to England to attempt to find a publisher for his artwork. He found success when he met naturalist William Lizars in Edinburgh. They collaborated to produce and publish the first volume of Birds of America in 1827. It featured 100 of Audubon’s color plate engravings of over 400 different bird species found in America.
The response to Birds of America was highly enthusiastic. Audubon found additional publishers and financial backers for the full publication, which eventually grew to 435 hand-colored plates in seven volumes from 1827 to 1838. It featured nearly 500 species of American birds with lifelike poses and detailed backgrounds.
Audubon’s Later Career and Death
Following his triumph with Birds of America, Audubon continued to study birds and publish additional works. He wrote Ornithological Biography in the 1830s to complement his paintings with details on bird habitats and behaviors. In the 1840s, he published an octavo edition of Birds of America with reduced prints to reach a wider audience.
In his later years, Audubon explored the American West to discover new species. He added his Western finds to updated editions of Birds of America. Audubon died at his family home in New York City on January 27, 1851. He left behind an invaluable artistic record of American birds and a legacy as one of the country’s most renowned naturalists.
Audubon’s Artistic Methods and Style
Audubon relied on several key methods to create his famous bird paintings:
- Observing birds directly in nature and collecting specimens
- Pushing pins through the birds’ bodies and wiring the specimens into natural poses
- Depicting the birds lifesize on large sheets of paper (known as double elephant folio)
- Using watercolors, pastels, chalk, and inks to create dramatic color effects
- Adding realistic scenery and plant life into the backgrounds
- Incorporating creative compositions and actions to capture the birds’ spirit
Audubon’s finished works were colorful, energetic, and based on close study of anatomy and habitat. His innovative methods set a new standard for scientific illustration. Audubon is credited with helping develop the field of ornithology through his obsessive first-hand observations and lifelike artworks.
Impact and Significance of Audubon’s Bird Art
Audubon’s Birds of America had a tremendous impact on science, art, and publishing. Key effects of his monumental work include:
- Provided unprecedented documentation of American bird species
- Inspired further scientific study of birds in the US
- Raised the standard for detail and accuracy in naturalist drawings
- Helped establish ornithology as a science in America
- Produced some of the finest wildlife drawings to this day
- Became one of the most expensive printed books in history
Very few complete editions of Birds of America still exist. Auction prices for intact copies have topped $10 million. Audubon’s exquisite bird portraits remain highly influential on artists and nature enthusiasts to this day.
Famous Examples of Audubon’s Bird Paintings
Some of Audubon’s most famous bird paintings and prints include:
Wild Turkey
This iconic painting depicts a large male wild turkey strutting through a wooded landscape. The lifelike pose captures the turkey’s iridescent plumage in accurate detail.
Carolina Parakeet
This painting shows a pair of bright green Carolina parakeets perched on a branch with sweet gum fruit. Tragically, this species went extinct in the early 1900s.
American Flamingo
Audubon painted the striking American flamingo amidst the tropical plants of the Florida Keys. The painting’s bright colors and graceful posing are typical of Audubon’s style.
Snowy Owl
In this work, a snowy owl blends into its wintry environment, demonstrating Audubon’s skill for setting birds into appropriate habitats.
Passenger Pigeon
Audubon captured hundreds of intricate passenger pigeons in this painting. Like the Carolina parakeet, the passenger pigeon sadly went extinct despite once being abundant.
Audubon’s Lasting Legacy in Art and Ornithology
John James Audubon made an enormous contribution to American art and natural science. Some key aspects of his legacy include:
- Produced the first comprehensive illustrations of American bird species
- Inspired public interest in birds and nature studies
- Revealed the diversity and magnificence of America’s avian life
- Demonstrated innovative artistic methods of naturalist illustration
- Set new standards for detail and accuracy in wildlife drawings
- Created some of the world’s most valuable printed book illustrations
- Pioneered the field of ornithology in the United States
- Provided scientific documentation of many species that later went extinct
- Remains one of the most famous naturalist artists in history
Audubon’s Birds of America represents a landmark achievement at the intersection of art, science, and print publishing. The beauty, emotion, and scientific accuracy of Audubon’s bird portraits continue to captivate viewers nearly 200 years after their creation.
Conclusion
In summary, John James Audubon was the pioneering American artist who created the masterwork Birds of America. This monumental publication featured hundreds of lifelike illustrations of American bird species based on Audubon’s first-hand observations. Audubon’s dramatic bird portraits set a new standard for wildlife art and made a major contribution to the development of ornithology. Though he came from France, Audubon dedicated his life to studying and documenting America’s natural bird life through art. His legacy lives on through his exquisite paintings and role in advancing natural science studies in the United States.