Audubon shot the birds first, then wired them into lifelike poses and painted them. Birds of America (1827[7]-1838[7]), engraved and printed in Scotland and England, contains plates measuring roughly thirty-nine by twenty-six inches so the birds could be shown life-size. It is one of the most ambitious natural history publications ever produced.
Key facts
Biography
He was born illegitimate in 1785[7] in Les Cayes, Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), the son of a French merchant and a Creole woman. He was sent to America at eighteen to avoid Napoleonic conscription. He was also a serial fabricator: he claimed his father was an admiral (he was a captain), said his family had been imprisoned in the Bastille (they had not), and invented frontier stories about fighting wolves and sleeping in igloos. He ran a dry-goods store in Kentucky and was jailed for bankruptcy in 1819[7].
The paintings themselves are extraordinary: precise, dynamic, and composed with a narrative quality that goes beyond scientific illustration. His legacy is contested. The National Audubon Society and several regional chapters dropped his name in 2023 because of his documented history as an enslaver. He died in 1851[7].
Timeline
- 1785Born on 26 April in Les Cayes, Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti). He developed an interest in drawing birds during his boyhood in France.
- 1803At 18, sent to the United States to avoid Napoleonic conscription. He settled at Mill Grove, near Philadelphia, where he studied birds and met his future wife Lucy Bakewell.
- 1826Aged 41, sailed to England with his partly finished collection of bird paintings. His work found an enthusiastic audience during the Romantic era and he secured subscribers for his great project.
- 1827At 42, began publication of The Birds of America in Edinburgh, a monumental double-elephant folio featuring 435 hand-coloured plates depicting birds at life size.
- 1838Aged 53, completed the final volume of The Birds of America after over a decade of engraving and publishing between Scotland and England.
- 1845At 60, began publishing Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America from New York, working with his sons and the naturalist John Bachman.
- 1851Died on 27 January aged 65 in New York City.
Notable Works
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Where to See John James Audubon
4 museums worldwide.
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2 works
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Old Patent Office Building, United States
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2 works
Gilcrease Museum
Tulsa, United States
Related Artists
Frequently Asked Questions
Did john james audubon kill birds?
The biography confirms that John James Audubon shot birds before painting them.Did john james audubon own slaves?
The biography states that John James Audubon's legacy is contested, and that the National Audubon Society dropped his name in 2023 because of his documented history as an enslaver.How did john james audubon die?
John James Audubon died in 1851[7] at the age of 66.How did john james audubon impact american art?
One passage notes that John James Audubon had to travel to Britain to find funding for his work. Ultimately it was published in America and Britain, and remains both a beautiful work of art and a classification of birds.John james audubon art movement?
One passage mentions Audubon's desire to classify the birds he observed in North America, but does not associate him with a specific art movement.Was john james audubon a slave owner?
The biography states that John James Audubon's legacy is contested, and that the National Audubon Society dropped his name in 2023 because of his documented history as an enslaver.What is john james audubon most famous for?
John James Audubon is most famous for his publication, Birds of America.Why did john james audubon paint birds?
The paintings are precise, dynamic, and composed with a narrative quality that goes beyond scientific illustration.What did john james audubon?
John James Audubon painted birds, wiring them into lifelike poses after shooting them.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for John James Audubon.
- [1] museum Speed Art Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Cleveland Museum of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum Arizona State University Art Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum National Gallery of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum Gilcrease Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum Harvard Art Museums Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] wikipedia Wikipedia: John James Audubon Used for: biography, birth dates, death dates, identifiers, movement attribution, nationality.
- [8] book Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author, Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author - The Art Book_ New Edition, Mini Format Used for: biography.
- [9] book Masterpieces of western art : a history of art in 900 individual studies from the Gothic to the present day Used for: biography.
- [10] book Christensen, Erwin Ottomar, 1890-, The history of Western art Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-06-04. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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