John James Audubon (1785-1851)

Audubon was born on April 26, 1785. He was the illegitimate son of Lieutenant Jean Audubon, A French naval officer. His mother, Jeanne Rabin, a Spanish Creole from Louisiana, died while he was still an infant. He was formally adopted by his father and named Jean-Jacques Fougere Audubon. He spent his youth in France, but immigrated to the United States in 1803 at the age of 18. Looking to a future in the New World, Audubon Americanized his name. From that point on he was known as John James Audubon.

Audubon's affinity for the birds began at an early age. His father would point out little details and call attention to their behavior. He was a gregarious young man of some social standing. He played the violin and flute, and could ride, fence and dance, but even as a young man he prefered to roam the woods alone.

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Audubon's initial career path was that of a seaman. At the age of 12 he attended military school and was assigned to a ship as a cabin boy. Life at sea didn't sit well with Audubon. He was susceptable to seasickness and horrible at navigation. After failing the officer's qualification test, his shortlived career as a seaman was over.

Audubon was back at sea in 1803. Frace was going through troubled times and his father didn't not want him "drafted". He traveled to America under an assumed name. Upon reaching America, he made another change. If he was to be an American he wanted an American name. John James Audubon made his home with his father's tenants on a 284 acre farm near philadelphia.

Audubon was in paradise. He hunted, fished, played music and of course, drew the birds. As he watched for a drew different birds, he noted the surroundings and any unique behavior he had observed. He started keeping a journal.

It wasn't long before Audubon met Lucy, the daughter of his neighbor. They shared a love of country life and explored the natural world around them together. Audubon's artistic skill and his understanding of his avian friends continued to grow. His goal was as simple as it was hard. His wanted to illustrate the birds in a realistic setting rather han the stuffed poses that were the current norm.

His love and affection for Lucy grew as well. Needing his father's permission to marry, Audubon returned to France.

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Audubon's father approved the match but Lucy's father was skeptical. He saw Audubon as an "idle" Frenchman. He would not release his daughter until he had a solid career. Determined to prove he could provide for Lucy, he sold part of the homestead. He used the proceeds to start a general store in Louisville, Kentucky. Six months later he married Lucy.

Audubon was soon drawing birds again. He also took detailed field notes to complement each drawing. Do to President Jefferson's embargo of British and French trade, Audubon's business was surviving but not thriving. He moved his business and his family to Henderson, Kentucky. He no longer dressed like a gallant Frenchman but wore the typical clothes of a frontierman. He was a frontierman, hunting and fishing to provide for his family but he continued to draw and to document what he saw.

He gave up his French citizenship and became an American citizen when congress declared war with Great Britian in 1812. Although their finances were tenous and life more rustic that John James or Lucy had expected, they were happy. Audubon continued to draw and document American wildlife.

The War of 1812 threw Audubon's plans out of kilter. He had planned on moving to New Orleans but formed a partnership with his brother-in-law instead. They built up his business in Hendersonville, bought land, slaves and even founded a flour mill. The idyllic linterlude came to an abrupt halt in 1819. Audubon went bankrupt. He was even thrown into jail for debt.

With a heavy heart, Audubon made money whatever way he could doing death-bed sketches and portraits. It was depressing work, but through it Audubon realized he was being led by a greater force. He needed to develop the talent he truly loved. Drawing and painting the birds was his destiny.

Once Audubon realized the direction he was meant to go, he made a commitment to himself. He would find and paint all the birds of North America and then he would publish it. His personal goal was to surpass earlier the earlier works of Alexander Wilson, the current favored poet-naturalist. He worked for a time with a naturalist and taxidermist at a museum, honing his skills, but it wasn't long before he picked up his paintbox and his gun, and headed out.

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Audubon moved his family to New Orleans in 1821 and shortly after that to the a plantation upriver. He took a position teaching art to the plantation owner's daughter. The pay was lousy but it afforded him the freedom to roam, always drawing and painting the birds.
Audubon spent much of his time roaming and painting the birds. With publication now the goal, he gave his work a title, Birds of America. He painted vrociously, often finishing a painting in a day. He redid earlier works which he now considered inferior. Focused on the goal, Audubon was forced to leave his family for months at a time. Fortuantely Lucy was trained as a teacher. She provided a steady income for the family while Audubon was crisscrossing the country drawing and documenting the behavior of bird after bird.

In 1824 Audubon deemed his collection complete enough to publish.. He first sought a publisher in Philadelphia. He was rebuffed. Audubon had earned the enmity of some of the members of the Academy of Natural Sciences. While residing in Philadelphia he met Charles Bonapart. Bonapart suggested he take is drawings to Europe.

With Lucy's blessings, Audubon took his collection of 300 drawings to England. His work was well received. Birds of America was a book consisting of 435 hand-colored, life-sized prints of 497 bird species. It was made from engraved copper plates. The pages were arranged for artistic affect rather than by genus and species.

The book was a huge success.

Audubon returned to America in 1829 to complete more drawings. He remained in America for a time but eventually returned to England accompanied by Lucy. While in England Audubon completed a second book, Ornithological Biographies, which held the life histories of all of the birds in Birds of America. It was written with the assistance of Ornithologist William MacGillivray.
Throughout the 1830's Audubon traveled between America and England numerous times. In 1839 he returned to America to stay. He bought an estate on the Hudson River which is now Audubon Park. He published two more books before his death is 1851.
Audubon's work had a trememdous influence on ornithology and natural history. There were errors in some of his field observations, but his artistry and his high standards were phenominal. His notes gave scientist a deeper understanding of birds and bird behavior, and Birds of America will always be considered a true work of art.

Audubon's Masterpieces


Audubon's masterpieces: 150 prints from the Birds of America

John James Audubon spent a lifetime documenting the behavior of, and drawing the birds of North America. Audubon's Masterpieces is a collection of 150 of his best works.

Peterson's Field Guide to Birds



Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America (Peterson Field Guide Series)

An absolute must have for anyone with a birdfeeder and an interest in watching the birds.

Rhodes, R., 2006. John James Audubon, The Making of an American. Random House, New York.

Souder, W., 2004. Under a Wild Sky. North Point Press, New York.

John James Audubon in the West
The Collection: National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art Exhibitions