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Article: Cutting up Audubon for science and art.("The Birds of America" by John James Audubon)
- Article from:
- The Magazine Antiques
- Article date:
- October 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Brant Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In 1826 John James Audubon left his adopted homeland and traveled to Great Britain with the intention of publishing a book on the birds of America.
For the next twenty years, he devoted his attention to completing the paintings for, and overseeing, the engraving and hand-coloring of the 435 plates that came to be known as the double elephant folio of The Birds of America. He also spent his time preparing the text for his Ornithological Biography (published separately) and seeking subscribers to support his costly enterprise. (1) Through the strength of his personality and the astonishing quality of his work, Audubon successfully attracted nearly two hundred ...