John James Audubon: Birds of America

 

 

The Charles Deere collection of 98 John James Audubon “Birds of America” Bien edition prints has recently been conserved and re-framed. This is a rare opportunity to see a large number of these popular elephant folio (approximately 3’ x 2’ in size) prints. Audubon’s contribution to ornithology, first published as engravings in 1838 after Audubon’s watercolors, was revolutionary. Instead of a static portrait Audubon chose dramatic almost cinematic portrayals of the birds, life sized, in their natural surroundings.

Today The Birds of America prints and the brilliant watercolors upon which they are based are admired not only for their ornithological accuracy, but also for their vitality and keen sense of design. Audubon drew birds from life whenever possible rather than from specimens alone. Of equal or greater importance, he observed the birds in depth and detail. He took note of the birds' food and habitat preferences meticulously and he watched them move, interact, and behave. He strove for action and reality; this was a new approach to the painting of birds. Accustomed to seeing specimens shown simply, against a blank background, some naturalists objected to Audubon's use of dramatic poses and settings. His attempt to position them as they moved in the wild, using wire armatures to support the specimens, was truly revolutionary.

 

This is a rare opportunity to see a large number of these popular elephant folio (approximately 3’ x 2’ in size) prints. As you explore the artwork of this exhibition, consider the complex story that each image is telling and the fragile beauty it is depicting. These paintings reflect Audubon's love and fascination with the beauty and dynamics of birds and their lively action jumps from the pages. 

 
Podcast: How did the local Charles Deere family acquire this Audubon collection?
Click here to download and listen (20 mb).

Gretchen Small, Program Director/Curator of Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House, talks about this Audubon collection and the restoration process of the prints that began two years ago in this podcast.