Who was Audubon?
John James Audubon (1785-1851) was born in Haiti, the illegitimate son of a French sea captain and his Creole mistress. Following his mother's death, he was sent to France where he briefly studied painting with Jacques-Louis David. At the age of 18 he moved to Pennsylvania, to escape conscription into the Emperor Napoleon's army. He lived on the family estate where he hunted, studied and drew birds.
Audubon spent more than a decade in business, but after being jailed for bankruptcy in 1819, he turned to art as a profession. In the years that followed he travelled from Florida in the south to Labrador in the north studying and drawing birds. His ambition was to publish an illustrated book of life-size North American birds, however he was unable to get his project off the ground.
Publishing Birds of America
In 1826, Audubon sailed for Great Britain where he came into contact with the scientific community who guided and supported his endeavour. His work was enthusiastically received at meetings and exhibitions in England and Scotland. An initial list of subscribers allowed him to engage his first engraver, a Scotsman named William Lizars. Unfortunately, Lizars' colourists went on strike, forcing Audubon to take his business elsewhere. In London, he engaged engravers Robert Havell and his son Robert Junior. This was the beginning of a partnership that was to last many years. |
