Audubon: Life and Art in the American Wilderness

by Shirley Streshinsky

65 Members (3.00)

On This Page

Description

In 1803, an eighteen-year-old West Indies–born Frenchman arrived in New York City, fleeing Napoleon’s conscription. His work would become inextricably entwined with the new world he so proudly adopted in his motto “America, my country.” Inspired by the primeval forests and the vast flocks of birds that thrived in them, Audubon spent the next several decades of his life painstakingly documenting the birds of the American wilderness. He traveled the back roads and bayous, searching out show more and studying the birds that were his pastime and passion. He spent long, silent hours observing them in the wild. He was no amateur ornithologist; rather, he drew his birds from life, and his work always carried the line “drawn from nature by J. J. Audubon.” Accompanied by his wife, Lucy, and their two sons, Audubon was able to challenge the world’s expectations and win. The story of this loving family’s long, profound struggle is as poignant and as relevant today as it was in the early decades of the nineteenth century. Combining meticulous scholarship with the dramatic life story of a naturalist and pioneer, Audubon reexamines the artist's journals and letters to tell the story of Audubon's quest, the origins of the American spirit, and the sacrifice that resulted in one of the world's greatest bodies of art: The Birds of America. show less

Tags

Recommendations

Member Reviews

Members

Recently Added By

Author Information

9+ Works 248 Members

Common Knowledge

People/Characters
John James Audubon

Classifications

Genres
Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Biography & Memoir, Art & Design
DDC/MDS
598.092Natural sciences & mathematicsAnimalsBirdsOrnithology, birdwatching and field guidesGeographicalBiography
LCC
QL31 .A9 .S77ScienceZoologyZoologyGeneral
BISAC

Statistics

Members
65
Popularity
479,990
Rating
(3.00)
Languages
English
Media
Paper, Ebook
ISBNs
4
ASINs
1