The Birds of America by John James Audubon
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Title
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The Birds of America by John James Audubon
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Description
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The American artist and naturalist John James Audubon depicted birds across America. His masterpiece The Birds of America was printed in early the 19th century. Audubon drew birds from life and the specimen, and he kept volumes of diaries recording his encounters with birds. For art and collection purpose, he shot the birds for take-home study and cooked his prey and subjects afterward, an ethic questioned. The paintings are fully colored, life-size. To fit into the page, a large-size bird has to bend itself into an unnatural posture. In addition to its artistic value, this collection shares great scientific importance—several birds joyfully living in Audubon’s paintings are now extinct species. More than an art piece, Audubon’s The Birds of America is a visual documentation.
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JHU Catalyst
