John James Audubon
John James Audubon, the illegitimate son of a sea captain Jean Audubon and a servant Jeanne Rabine was a French - American painter, naturalist and ornithologist. He was born on 1785 in Les Cayes (new Haiti), previously known as Saint Domingue, and died in 1851 (Rhodes, 2004). Even nearly two centuries since his death, Audubon is remembered in this world for his studies on birds, painting, and hunting. Audubon was a nature lover, and passionate about paintings of birds in their natural habitats. His most memorable documentation is The Birds of North America, a collection of ornithological works considered to be his best legacy (Rhodes, 2004). Audubon discovered many birds species which serves as a constant reminder of his work. It is undeniable that his work as a naturalist and his contribution to today's understanding of birds makes him a true American icon. His paintings are very realistic, and he studied much about birds, which contributes greatly to the field of ornithology. John James Audubon is one of the fathers of ornithology, and his work is the best in the world. A rare copy of The Birds of America was sold for 7.3 million pounds (Quinn, 2011).
Audubon is a true American Icon, something recognized by many - both in his lifetime and the centuries beyond. Audubon's work had significant influence in the field of ornithology (Quinn, 2011). To honor Audubon's work and the world of birds, Google put Audubon in their hall of fame last year, designing and releasing a Google doodle for their homepage on Audubon's 226th birthday (Quinn, 2011) Not only was Audubon celebrated for his life and work while he was alive, his influence and legacy continues in the mind of many today.
There are some nature lovers, both in the past and today, have objections to Audubon's tendency to kill birds out of curiosity early in his life and work. However, the way he painted them and arranged them allowed for more detailed analysis of these birds than had been possible before.
Audubon's mother died when he was very young, and he was brought up by his French father. He spent his childhood years in France, where he start studied art and painting. Since his boyhood in France, Audubon had a huge interest in birds and he started roaming in the jungle, woods and near banks of river to satisfy his curiosity. Here, he collected nests and bird eggs which he then drew in great detail. Later, he and his father moved to the United States during the Napoleonic Wars, settling in Pennsylvania. However, on arrival in New York City, Audubon fell sick with yellow fever, and was nursed by Quaker women who then taught him English. While living in America, he satiated his naturalist tendencies by hunting, fishing and drawing. In this way, he managed to fulfill the American Dream of successfully emigrating to the United States, starting a new life.
Through these adventures, Audubon began to study birds; a practice that has undoubtedly earned him the respect of America's historians. He started experimenting on birds through bird- banding, which allowed him to identify their habitats and nesting spots. He also used this opportunity to start playing with birds. Through this, he arrived at the theory that birds returned to the same nesting spots every year - findings that have become essential in the field ornithology. Audubon also began to study bird behavior in addition to painting them. An injury during an accidental fall saw Audubon return to France, where he met his fellow naturalist Charles Marie D'Orbigny. D'Orbigny taught Audubon taxidermy skills and honed his scientific research skills (Chowder). These skills Audubon then brought back to America, where he used them to learn even more about birds, becoming one of the premier experts on the subject.
Not long after, Audubon returned to America and used these new skills of ornithology to learn many things about birds and nature in France. Having built up incredible knowledge, Audubon opened a bird museum in America, which cemented his status as an American Icon. The Audubon Museum in Henderson, Kentucky represents his cumulative knowledge of science and advanced exhibits of his research. Some scholars think that Audubon's museum was a copy of ornithologist Charles Wilson Peale's museum in Philadelphia (Rhodes, 2004). However, it can be argued that Audubon was more proficient in preparing specimens and general taxidermy than Peale, thus justifying its existence and value. His museum exhibited birds' eggs, snakes, and raccoons, among other creatures.
Audubon lived for a short time in Cincinnati, where he worked as a naturalist in a museum. Soon after, he travelled down the Mississippi River, through Kentucky and Missouri to paint birds that lived in the Northern part of America. He painted many North American birds and eventually published them. Audubon, however, used Peale's work to guide his endeavors (Audubon). In this venture, Audubon travelled to Florida, Mississippi and Alabama. To honor the value that resulted from this travels and to appreciate Audubon as an American icon, there is an Audubon state historic site near Jackson which celebrates his contribution to American ornithology. Audubon travelled many states of the America in the 18th century, and painted and researched birds and other species.
His Mississippi travels resulted in the publication of The Birds of America, a classic ornithological publication. This was an epic ornithological book which had collected nearly five hundred prints of North American birds and in total had more than seven hundred bird species of the Mississippi. The most notable plate in this collection was the wild turkey, a bird that featured prominently in American history when Benjamin Franklin campaigned for it to be the national bird. He also did other paintings in addition to teaching art, like charcoal drawings, in order to survive. In 1826, after little interest from American publishers to publish his paintings, Audubon traveled to England with hundreds of drawings. The British admired his work and appreciated the paintings of natural American attractions, labeling him as 'the American woodsman'; it is the best acknowledgement of Audubon as an American Icon (Rhodes, 2004). These ornithological works contained in The Birds of America made Audubon commanded respect not only in England but also in America where he had gained citizenship.
It maybe not cast in stone that Audubon has been given the status of an American icon. However, in addition to historic sites and acknowledgements by other great people like Charles Darwin, Audubon's portrait was painted by John Syme. This painting which showed his naturalist tendencies through his frontier clothing currently resides in the White house. This is another act that shows that America as a country acknowledges Audubon as one of its icons. The original bird paintings in The Birds of America currently are owned by the New York Historical Society (Rhodes, 2004).
John James Audubon was an ornithologist, painter and naturalist that made a huge impact to ornithology through his drawings. His most remembered work is the seminal ornithology text The Birds of America. Through these works and others, Audubon demonstrated the beauty of natural America to the world. Audubon left a legacy that is clearly marked by his pioneering research into American nature. His contribution to American culture, his works on the birds of North America and his drawings make Audubon one of the greatest ornithologists, making him an American icon. He is always remembered as a painter, scientist and ornithologist, and his work is a inspiration of today's artists. A painter and nature lover, his work is an inspiration for not only America, but the rest of the world.
Works Cited
American Masters. "John James Audubon: Career Timeline ." n.d. . American Masters . 26 February 2012
<http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/audubon_j_timeline.html>
Audubon. "John James Audubon as Artist." n.d. . Audubon . 26 February 2012
<http://web4.audubon.org/bird/BoA/BOA_index.html>
Chowder, Ken. "John James Audubon." 25 July 2007. American Masters . 26 February 2012 <http://www.pbs.org /wnet/americanmasters/episodes/john-james-audubon/drawn-from-nature/106/>
Quinn, Ben. "John James Audubon's 226th birthday celebrated by Google." The Guardian. 26 April 2011.
Rhodes, Richard (2004). John James Audubon: The Making of an American. New York: Alfred
A. Knopf
Stevens, Patsy. "JOHN JAMES AUDUBON." 2006. Garden of Praise . 26 February 2012
<http://gardenofpraise.com/ibdaudu.htmhttp://gardenofpraise.com/ibdaudu.htm>
