Displaying items by tag: naturalist

Last March, the New-York Historical Society launched “Audubon’s Aviary: The Complete Flock.” The sweeping, three-part exhibition celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Society’s purchase of the 435 avian watercolors that John James Audubon’s created for his seminal volume, “Birds of America.”

While “Audubon’s Aviary: Part I of the Complete Flock” offered patrons a rare glimpse into Audubon’s earlier years, “Parts Unknown (Part II of the Complete Flock),” will consider Audubon as an established artist-naturalist, a world traveler, and a well-known figure in a growing nation. The show, which focuses on Audubon’s preparatory watercolors for “Birds of America,” will present more than 132 watercolors depicting mainly water birds and waders, many of which are among Audubon’s most spectacular and largest birds. The show will be complemented by audio of bird calls and songs of each species from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

“Audubon’s Aviary: Parts Unknown (Part II of the Complete Flock)” will open at the New-York Historical Society on March 21, 2014 and will remain on view through May 26, 2014. The exhibition’s third installment will open in 2015.

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston presents the exhibition Audubon’s Birds, Audubon’s Words. The show features approximately 30 prints from the museum’s copy of John James Audubon’s seminal work The Birds of America alongside the prose he originally wrote for the book.

The naturalist and painter is best known for his life-size, hand-colored prints illustrating the wide variety of birds in North America. The MFA’s exhibition aims to bring attention to Audubon’s undervalued text, which he original wrote to describe each bird he portrayed in Birds of America. However, the first edition of the book was printed between 1827 and 1838 without words. The MFA’s presentation of Audubon’s prose allows patrons the chance to read first-hand accounts of the methods the artist used to depict the birds and the trials associated with his substantial project.

Audubon’s Birds, Audubon’s Words will be on view at the MFA through May 11, 2014.