The Watercolors for The Birds of America

Résumé du livre

"One of America's most celebrated figures in the fields of art, science, and history, John James Audubon is best known for the glorious series of watercolor paintings that served as the basis of the hand-colored prints used in The Birds of America. Audubon devoted his life to realizing his dream of identifying and depicting the birds of North America, and his work has had profound cultural and historical significance. It established Audubon as an early American artist who could attract European attention, and, for many, he personified New World culture and its emerging independent existence. To this day, Audubon's The Birds of America is recognized and acclaimed for its extraordinary images and ornithological discoveries. In John James Audubon: The Watercolors for The Birds Of America, all aspects of Audubon's genius come together in one definitive, sumptuous volume Acquired in 1863 from Audubon's widow, all of the original watercolors for Audubon's masterpiece, in addition to other little-known and never-before-published outstanding pieces, have been selected from The New-York Historical Society's extensive collection. Recently conserved and newly photographed with painstaking care, these rarely seen works are reproduced here to reveal the original, brilliant colors. The text has been contributed by some of America's foremost art historians, conservators, and Audubon scholars. Topics ranging from Audubon's life and art to The New-York Historical Society's technical studies of the watercolors are explored in a series of erudite yet accessible essays, while the book's full-page plates are thoroughly detailed with engaging and informative entries. Art lovers, historians, and naturalists as well as the general public will appreciate this unique volume. John James Audubon: The Watercolors for The Birds Of America ties together all the elements of Audubon's rich, complex life and legacy. It is a fitting tribute to one of our greatest artists." --