Audubon Birds of America Prints 1871

John James Audubon (1785-1851) worked on the monumental Birds of America from 1827-1838, illustrating and editing one of the largest and most expensive bird books in the world. Audubon used the finest of specimens and all types of media including oil crayon, pastel watercolors, ink & gouache to stunning effect.  His genius was in his intimate knowledge of the world of birds and their surroundings gained from a lifetime of observation in the field, and the ability to translate this vision into a publication that has never been equaled in the world of ornithology.  Audubon's superb works on bird and quadrupeds have come to signify a love of all wild creatures & the environment, epitomized today by the Audubon Society and immortalized worldwide in publications and the stamps of over 60 countries.  In the words of the Audubon Society, perhaps above all else, Audubon was a lover and observer of birds and nature.