Audubon Art Prints
The man behind the beautiful bird art
Jean-Jacques Rabin, born on April 26, 1785, and later known as John James Audubon, was a self-taught artist, naturalist, and ornithologist of French-American descent. His passion for both art and ornithology converged into a grand vision – to create a comprehensive visual documentation of every bird species in North America. Audubon gained renown for his meticulous studies, meticulously cataloging diverse American bird species and producing detailed illustrations showcasing the birds in their natural environments. His magnum opus, "The Birds of America" (1827–1839), a color-plate book, stands as a pinnacle in ornithological literature. Remarkably, Audubon not only documented known species but also identified 25 new ones. His legacy extends to being the namesake of the National Audubon Society, and numerous towns, neighborhoods, and streets in the United States bear his name. Many scientific names introduced by Audubon continue to be employed by the scientific community to this day.
Early Life Audubon
Audubon and his French wife, Anne Moynet Audubon, raised the children in Couëron, near Nantes, France. They had been married years before Audubon's time in Saint-Domingue. In 1794, the couple formally adopted both children to regularize their legal status in France, renaming the boy Jean-Jacques Fougère Audubon and the girl Rose.
From Audubon's earliest days, he displayed a deep affinity for birds, expressing, "I felt an intimacy with them...bordering on frenzy [that] must accompany my steps through life." His father nurtured this interest in nature:
He would highlight the elegant movement of birds, the beauty and softness of their plumage, and draw attention to their expressions of pleasure or awareness of danger, their perfect forms, and splendid attire. Discussions often centered around their seasonal departures and returns.
Growing up during the French Revolution and its aftermath, the younger Audubon became a handsome and sociable man in France. He developed skills in playing the flute and violin, as well as in riding, fencing, and dancing. Audubon frequently explored the woods, returning with natural curiosities, including birds' eggs and nests, which he depicted in crude drawings.
Initially, Audubon's father envisioned a seafaring future for his son. At the age of twelve, Audubon attended military school and became a cabin boy. However, he discovered his susceptibility to seasickness and a lack of enthusiasm for mathematics or navigation. Failing the officer's qualification test, Audubon concluded his nascent naval career and returned to exploring fields, with a renewed focus on birds.
Migrating to the America
In 1803, Audubon's father secured a false passport for Jean-Jacques to enable him to travel to the United States and avoid conscription in the Napoleonic Wars. At the age of 18, Jean-Jacques, now going by the anglicized name John James Audubon, embarked on a journey, accompanied by a business venture orchestrated by Jean Audubon and Claude Rozier. The partnership aimed to engage John James Audubon and Jean Ferdinand Rozier in lead mining activities in Pennsylvania. This collaboration involved Claude Rozier acquiring half of Jean Audubon's share of a Haitian plantation and providing financial support secured by a half interest in lead mining at Audubon's Pennsylvania property, Mill Grove.
Upon arriving in New York City, Audubon contracted yellow fever and was placed in a Quaker-run boarding house, where he recovered and learned English. He then traveled to Mill Grove, the Audubon family farm in Pennsylvania, a 284-acre homestead situated along the Perkiomen Creek near Valley Forge.
At Mill Grove, Audubon resided in a two-story stone house with tenants, considering the area a paradise. He immersed himself in activities like hunting, fishing, drawing, and music, carefree and oblivious to worries. Observing his surroundings, Audubon quickly grasped the ornithologist's rule, noting, "The nature of the place—whether high or low, moist or dry, whether sloping north or south, or bearing tall trees or low shrubs—generally gives hint as to its inhabitants." His father hoped that the lead mines on the property would be commercially viable, providing his son with a lucrative occupation.
While at Mill Grove, Audubon began his intensive study of American birds, aiming to depict them in a more realistic manner than most artists of his time. He painted and drew birds, closely observing their behavior. After a fall into a creek, Audubon contracted a severe fever but recovered at the nearby Fatland Ford, where he met William Bakewell and his daughter Lucy Bakewell.
In 1805, risking conscription in France, Audubon returned to seek his father's permission to marry and discuss family business plans. During his visit, he encountered the naturalist and physician Charles-Marie D'Orbigny, who improved Audubon's taxidermy skills and taught him scientific research methods. Despite facing challenges, including an encounter with an English privateer, Audubon safely returned to the United States with hidden gold coins.
Resuming his bird studies, Audubon established his own nature museum, drawing inspiration from Charles Willson Peale's renowned museum of natural history in Philadelphia. Proficient in specimen preparation and taxidermy, Audubon filled his room with birds' eggs, stuffed animals, and various creatures. Deeming the mining venture too risky, Audubon, with his father's approval, sold part of the Mill Grove farm, including the house and mine, while retaining some land for investment.
Marriage & Home
In 1808, Audubon relocated to Kentucky, a rapidly settling region at the time. Six months later, he married Lucy Bakewell at her family estate, Fatland Ford, Pennsylvania, and promptly brought her to Kentucky. The couple, bonded by shared interests, embarked on exploring the natural wonders of their surroundings. Despite facing financial uncertainties, the Audubons initiated a family. Their offspring included two sons, Victor Gifford (1809–1860) and John Woodhouse Audubon (1812–1862), along with two daughters who unfortunately passed away in their early years—Lucy at the age of two (1815–1817) and Rose at nine months (1819–1820). Both sons later played significant roles in publishing their father's works, with John W. Audubon establishing himself as a naturalist, writer, and painter of merit.
Early Business Endeavors
Audubon and Jean Ferdinand Rozier progressively moved their merchant business partnership westward, ultimately settling in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri—a former French colonial settlement situated west of the Mississippi River and south of St. Louis. Having shipped goods in advance, Audubon and Rozier established a general store in Louisville, Kentucky, located on the Ohio River. This city, marked by a growing slave market, held significant prominence as the primary port between Pittsburgh and New Orleans. During this period, Audubon resumed drawing bird specimens, frequently discarding his earlier works to enforce continuous improvement. He diligently documented his drawings with detailed field notes.
In 1808, due to escalating tensions with the British, President Jefferson imposed an embargo on British trade, adversely affecting Audubon's trading enterprise. In 1810, Audubon relocated his business further west to the less competitive Henderson, Kentucky, region. Assumedly living a frontier lifestyle, Audubon, along with his small family, took over an abandoned log cabin. Clad in typical frontier attire and moccasins, he equipped himself with a ball pouch, a buffalo horn filled with gunpowder, a butcher knife, and a tomahawk on his belt.
Facing slow business, Audubon often turned to hunting and fishing to provide for his family. During a journey down the Ohio River with a cargo of goods, Audubon joined forces with Shawnee and Osage hunting parties, absorbing their techniques, sketching specimens by the bonfire, and parting ways amicably. He held profound respect for Native Americans, expressing, "Whenever I meet Indians, I feel the greatness of our Creator in all its splendor, for there I see the man naked from His hand and yet free from acquired sorrow." Audubon also admired the skills of Kentucky riflemen and the "regulators," citizen lawmen fostering a form of justice on the Kentucky frontier. His travel notes even claimed encounters with Daniel Boone. During his time in Henderson, the Audubon family owned slaves, but financial needs led to their eventual sale, drawing condemnation from contemporary abolitionists. Audubon, however, remained dismissive of abolitionists in both the US and the United Kingdom.
On April 6, 1811, Audubon and Rozier amicably dissolved their partnership in Ste. Genevieve. Audubon, driven by his passion for ornithology and art, wished to reunite with Lucy and their son in Kentucky. In agreement, Rozier agreed to compensate Audubon with US$3,000 (equivalent to $52,764 in 2022), comprising $1,000 in cash and the remainder to be paid over time. Audubon wrote:
The terms of the dissolution of the partnership include those by Audubon:
I John Audubon, having this day mutual consent with Ferdinand Rozier, dissolved and forever closed the partnership and firm of Audubon and Rozier, and having Received from said Ferdinand Rozier payment and notes to the full amount of my part of the goods and debts of the late firm of Audubon and Rozier, I the said John Audubon one of the firm aforesaid do hereby release and forever quit claim to all and any interest which I have or may have in the stock on hand and debts due to the late firm of Audubon and Rozier assign, transfer and set over to said Ferdinand Rozier, all my rights, titles, claims and interest in the goods, merchandise and debts due to the late firm of Audubon and Rozier, and do hereby authorize and empower him for my part, to collect the same in any manner what ever either privately or by suit or suits in law or equity hereby declaring him sole and absolute proprietor and rightful owner of all goods, merchandise and debts of this firm aforesaid, as completely as they were the goods and property of the late firm Audubon and Rozier.
In witness thereof I have set my hand and seal this Sixth day of April 1811
John Audubon
Ed D. DeVillamonte
Audubon was in Missouri, engaged in his work, when the 1811 New Madrid earthquake occurred. He happened to be out riding at the time of the quake. Upon returning to his house, Audubon was relieved to discover no significant damage, although the area experienced aftershocks for several months. The earthquake is estimated to have had a magnitude ranging from 8.4 to 8.8 on today's moment magnitude scale, surpassing the severity of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which is estimated at 7.8. Audubon recounted that while on horseback, he initially mistook the distant rumbling for the sound of a tornado.
He wrote: “but the animal knew better than I what was forthcoming, and instead of going faster, so nearly stopped that I remarked he placed one foot after another on the ground with as much precaution as if walking on a smooth piece of ice. I thought he had suddenly foundered, and, speaking to him, was on point of dismounting and leading him, when he all of a sudden fell a-groaning piteously, hung his head, spread out his forelegs, as if to save himself from falling, and stood stock still, continuing to groan. I thought my horse was about to die, and would have sprung from his back had a minute more elapsed; but as that instant all the shrubs and trees began to move from their very roots, the ground rose and fell in successive furrows, like the ruffled water of a lake, and I became bewildered in my ideas, as I too plainly discovered, that all this awful commotion was the result of an earthquake. I had never witnessed anything of the kind before, although like every person, I knew earthquakes by description. But what is description compared to reality! Who can tell the sensations which I experienced when I found myself rocking, as it were, upon my horse, and with him moving to and fro like a child in a cradle, with the most imminent danger around me.”
When the earthquake retreated he recorded, "the air was filled with an extremely disagreeable sulfurous odor”
John James Audubon becomes an American Citizen
During a visit to Philadelphia in 1812, prompted by Congress' declaration of war against Great Britain, Audubon underwent the process of becoming an American citizen, necessitating the relinquishment of his French citizenship. Upon returning to Kentucky, he discovered that his entire collection of over 200 drawings had been consumed by rats. Despite weeks of despondency, Audubon resolved to re-create his drawings to an even higher standard, venturing into the field once again.
The outbreak of the War of 1812 disrupted Audubon's plans to relocate his business to New Orleans. Instead, he entered into a partnership with Lucy's brother, concentrating on building up their trade in Henderson. The period between 1812 and the Panic of 1819 was prosperous for Audubon. He invested in land and slaves, established a flour mill, and relished the joys of his expanding family. However, after 1819, Audubon faced financial ruin, landing him in jail for debt. The meager income he generated came from drawing portraits, particularly death-bed sketches, highly valued by rural communities before the advent of photography. Reflecting on these challenging times, Audubon wrote, "[M]y heart was sorely heavy, for scarcely had I enough to keep my dear ones alive; and yet through these dark days I was being led to the development of the talents I loved."
Audubon begins his work with birds
Audubon briefly served as the inaugural paid employee of the Western History Society, now recognized as The Museum of Natural History at The Cincinnati Museum Center. Following this stint, he embarked on a journey along the Mississippi, accompanied by his gun, paintbox, and assistant Joseph Mason, who collaborated with him from October 1820 to August 1822. Mason specialized in painting the plant life backgrounds for many of Audubon's bird studies. Audubon, with the goal of surpassing the ornithological work of poet-naturalist Alexander Wilson, was committed to discovering and illustrating all the birds of North America for future publication. Despite being unable to afford Wilson's work, Audubon used it as a guiding reference whenever possible.
In 1818, naturalist Rafinesque visited Kentucky and the Ohio River valley, becoming a guest of Audubon. An incident during Rafinesque's stay, involving a bat in his room and the inadvertent destruction of Audubon's favorite violin, led to a peculiar exchange. Audubon purportedly retaliated by presenting Rafinesque with drawings and descriptions of fictitious fishes and rodents, some of which Rafinesque assigned scientific names in his work, Ichthyologia Ohiensis.
On October 12, 1820, Audubon embarked on a journey into Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida in pursuit of ornithological specimens. Accompanied by Swiss landscape artist George Lehman, he later moved to the Oakley Plantation in Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, during the following summer. There, he taught drawing to Eliza Pirrie, the daughter of the plantation owners, in a low-paying yet ideal job that granted him ample time for exploration and painting in the woods. The plantation, now preserved as the Audubon State Historic Site, showcases his legacy.
Audubon envisioned his upcoming work as The Birds of America, endeavoring to paint one page each day. Utilizing a newly discovered technique, he deemed his earlier works inferior and opted to redo them. Employing hunters to gather specimens, he realized that the ambitious project would necessitate extended periods away from his family.
Audubon occasionally traded his drawing skills for goods or sold small works to generate cash. He created charcoal portraits on demand for $5 each and provided drawing lessons. In 1823, he took lessons in oil painting from John Steen and Thomas Cole, earning money by painting oil portraits for patrons along the Mississippi. During this time (1822–1823), Audubon also worked as an instructor at Jefferson College in Washington, Mississippi.
Lucy became the primary breadwinner for the family, conducting classes for children at home and later securing a teaching position in Louisiana. The family's financial challenges persisted, prompting Lucy to board with their children at the home of a wealthy plantation owner, a common practice of the era.
In 1824, Audubon returned to Philadelphia, seeking a publisher for his bird drawings. He received oil painting lessons from Thomas Sully and encountered Charles Bonaparte, who admired his work and recommended a European trip for the engraving of his bird drawings. Audubon's nomination for membership at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia in 1824 faced rejection, coupled with accusations of scientific misconduct levied by Alexander Lawson and others around the same time.
Birds of America is Born
Supported by his wife, Audubon, at the age of 41 in 1826, embarked on a journey to England, carrying his burgeoning collection of work. Sailing from New Orleans to Liverpool aboard the cotton-hauling ship Delos, he arrived in England during the autumn of 1826, armed with a portfolio containing over 300 drawings. Armed with letters of introduction to prominent English figures and paintings depicting imaginary species, including the notable "Bird of Washington," Audubon quickly captured their attention. He remarked, "I have been received here in a manner not to be expected during my highest enthusiastic hopes." The British audience was captivated by Audubon's depictions of the American wilderness and its natural wonders. Touring England and Scotland, he earned acclaim as "the American woodsman" and garnered enough funds to commence the publication of his magnum opus, "The Birds of America."
This monumental work comprised 435 hand-colored, life-size prints of 497 bird species, created from engraved copper plates of varying sizes, depending on the image's dimensions. Printed on sheets measuring approximately 39 by 26 inches, the work showcased slightly over 700 North American bird species, with some illustrations based on specimens collected by fellow ornithologist John Kirk Townsend during his 1834 journey across America with Thomas Nuttall as part of Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth's second expedition across the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.
The pages were thoughtfully arranged for artistic impact and diverse interest, creating a visual tour for the reader. Some critics suggested organizing the plates in Linnaean order, typical of a "serious" ornithological treatise. The first plate, featuring the wild turkey, became iconic. Another early plate, the "Bird of Washington," initially hailed as Audubon's discovery of a new species, generated positive publicity. However, subsequent research in 2020 revealed this plate to be a combination of plagiarism and ornithological fraud, as no specimen of the alleged species has ever been found.
The total cost of printing the entire work amounted to $115,640 (equivalent to over $2,000,000 today), financed through advance subscriptions, exhibitions, oil painting commissions, and the sale of animal skins hunted by Audubon. His monumental achievement took more than 14 years of field observations and drawings, coupled with his sole management and promotion of the project, to become a success. A reviewer noted that all anxieties and fears surrounding the project's inception had dissipated, praising Audubon for securing a commanding place in the respect and gratitude of people.
Colorists applied each color in an assembly-line fashion, with over fifty individuals employed for this purpose. The original edition was engraved in aquatint by Robert Havell Jr., who took over from W. H. Lizars after the first ten plates were deemed inadequate. Referred to as the Double Elephant folio due to its paper size, it is often hailed as the greatest picture book ever produced and the finest aquatint work. By the 1830s, the aquatint process had largely been replaced by lithography. A contemporary French critic aptly described Audubon's work, stating, "A magic power transported us into the forests which for so many years this man of genius has trod. Learned and ignorant alike were astonished at the spectacle... It is a real and palpable vision of the New World."
To supplement his income and generate publicity for his book, Audubon sold oil-painted replicas of his drawings. A potential publisher commissioned a portrait of Audubon by John Syme, portraying the naturalist in frontier attire. This portrait was strategically displayed at the entrance of his exhibitions, contributing to the promotion of Audubon's rustic image. Currently held in the White House art collection, the portrait is infrequently exhibited.
The New-York Historical Society possesses all 435 preparatory watercolors for "The Birds of America," a collection that Lucy Audubon sold to the society after her husband's demise. Unfortunately, all but 80 of the original copper plates were melted down when Lucy, facing financial difficulties, sold them as scrap to the Phelps Dodge Corporation.
King George IV, an ardent admirer of Audubon, subscribed to support the publication of the book. Audubon's remarkable achievement was acknowledged by Britain's Royal Society, which elected him as a fellow—the second American to receive this honor after Benjamin Franklin. During his time in Edinburgh, where he sought subscribers for his book, Audubon showcased his method of supporting birds with wire at the Wernerian Natural History Association, led by Professor Robert Jameson. Among the attendees was Charles Darwin, then a student. Additionally, Audubon visited the dissecting theatre of anatomist Robert Knox. His success extended to France, where he gained subscriptions from the King and several nobles.
"The Birds of America" experienced widespread popularity during Europe's Romantic era. Audubon's evocative portraits of birds resonated with individuals captivated by the Romantic era's profound interest in natural history.
Audubon In Later Years
In 1829, Audubon returned to the United States with the aim of completing additional drawings for his magnum opus. During this period, he not only resumed his artistic endeavors but also engaged in hunting, providing valued animal skins to his British associates. After reuniting with his family, Audubon, accompanied by his wife Lucy, returned to England after settling business matters.
Unfortunately, Audubon discovered that his absence had led to a decline in subscribers, attributed to uneven coloring of the plates. Some subscribers were in arrears with payments, prompting Audubon to reassure them after his engraver fixed the plates. Despite these efforts, a few subscribers withdrew, prompting Audubon's confident response: "The Birds of America will then raise in value as much as they are now depreciated by certain fools and envious persons." In recognition of his contributions, Audubon was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1830 and to the American Philosophical Society in 1831.
Following "The Birds of America," Audubon collaborated with Scottish ornithologist William MacGillivray on a sequel titled "Ornithological Biographies." To avoid the financial burden of depositing copies in copyright libraries, both books were printed separately between 1827 and 1839. Throughout the 1830s, Audubon continued his expeditions in North America, making notable trips to Key West and northeastern Florida.
In 1833, Audubon explored the ornithology of Labrador during a northward voyage from Maine. Returning via Newfoundland, he documented 36 bird species. Audubon also painted works during his stay at the Key West residence of Capt. John H. Geiger, later preserved as the Audubon House and Tropical Gardens.
In 1841, after completing "Ornithological Biographies," Audubon returned to the United States, acquiring an estate on the Hudson River in northern Manhattan. This estate, known as Audubon Park, was gradually sold off for development in the 1860s. Between 1840 and 1844, Audubon published an octavo edition of "The Birds of America," featuring 65 additional plates and a standard format for increased affordability. The octavo edition earned $36,000, purchased by 1,100 subscribers, as Audubon embarked on subscription-gathering trips to secure additional sales and provide financial security for his family.
Old Age & Death of John James Audubon
Audubon ventured out West in the hope of documenting Western species he had previously missed, but his health began to decline. In 1848, he displayed signs of senility or possibly dementia, now associated with Alzheimer's disease, leading to the decline of his once "noble mind." Audubon passed away at his family residence in northern Manhattan on January 27, 1851. He was laid to rest in the graveyard at the Church of the Intercession in the Trinity Church Cemetery and Mausoleum, located at 155th Street and Broadway in Manhattan, near his home. A notable monument stands in his honor at the cemetery, now recognized as part of the Heritage Rose District of NYC.
Audubon's final project focused on mammals; he collaborated with his close friend Rev. John Bachman of Charleston, South Carolina, who contributed much of the scientific text. The plates were predominantly drawn by his son, John Woodhouse Audubon. Although Audubon did not live to see its completion, "The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America" (1845–1849) was finished by his sons, with the second volume published posthumously in 1851.
Audubon’s Art Style & Legacy
Audubon pioneered distinctive methods for illustrating birds. Initially, he employed fine shot to ethically kill the birds and then utilized wires to pose them naturally, deviating from the common practice of stuffing specimens into rigid poses. When tackling significant subjects like eagles, he dedicated up to four intense 15-hour days for preparation, study, and drawing. His bird paintings authentically portrayed the creatures in their natural habitats, often capturing them in dynamic, motion-filled scenes like feeding or hunting. This approach stood in contrast to the rigid depictions by his contemporaries, including Alexander Wilson. Audubon's paintings were based on meticulous field observations, employing watercolor as his primary medium. He introduced colored chalk or pastels for feather softness, particularly in owls and herons. Multiple layers of watercolor and occasional use of gouache were also part of his technique. All species were drawn life-size, resulting in contorted poses for larger birds to fit within the page dimensions. Smaller species were commonly depicted on branches adorned with berries, fruit, and flowers. Audubon often included multiple birds in a drawing to showcase different views of anatomy and wings. Larger birds were situated in their natural habitats or perched on stumps. Occasionally, as seen with woodpeckers, he combined several species on one page to highlight contrasting features. Nesting habits, eggs, and even natural predators, such as snakes, were recurring elements. Audubon regularly illustrated both male and female variations, along with juveniles. In later works, he enlisted assistants to render the habitat, balancing faithful anatomy with carefully crafted composition, drama, and slightly exaggerated poses for both artistic and scientific impact.