John James Audubon aka Jean-Jacques Rabin was born in 1785 in what is now Haiti. Due to racial tensions, his father evacuated him to France in 1788 (thus avoiding the Haitian 1791 genocide of white people).
"Audubon grew up to be a handsome and gregarious man. He played flute and violin, and learned to ride, fence, and dance*" facts which will doubtlessly delight some of my readers.
In 1803 Audubon immigrated to the United States to simultaneously avoid the draft (Napoleon's wars) and to manage his father's properties near Philadelphia. He did not speak English at the time.
"Audubon lived with the tenants in the two-story stone house, in an area that he considered a paradise. "Hunting, fishing, drawing, and music occupied my every moment; cares I knew not, and cared naught about them." Studying his surroundings, Audubon quickly learned the ornithologist's rule, which he wrote down as, "The nature of the place—whether high or low, moist or dry, whether sloping north or south, or bearing tall trees or low shrubs—generally gives hint as to its inhabitants."
Life for Audubon was not all skittles and cream. After a trip, he returned home to find that rats had destroyed all 200+ of his paintings. Later, in 1819 he was thrown in jail for being in debt.
Even today Audubon is criticized for circumstances that he had no control over. For instance, his father had owned slaves.
Audubon died in 1851.
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| Audubon is sometimes criticized for his "stilted" or "artificial looking" poses. Bear in mind that there were no trail-cams to capture these birds in the wild. Audubon collected his models by shooting them (with primitive firearms) and guessing at how they stood. |
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Audubon was blessed to have been born with the skills he had and the time period when he came-of-age. Interest in the natural world and the scientific cataloguing of species was at a fever-pitch and Audubon had an enthusiastic market for his work.
A tip of the battered fedora to 10x25mm for suggesting this artist. He is giving Tireless a run for the money.
*All material in quotation marks are from Wikipedia
Thanks for continuing the tradition, ERJ.
ReplyDeleteI do remember the story of Audubon recovering from the destruction of his works by heading back out and redoing them all over again.
Damn rats, the vermin of today are the same.
ReplyDeleteHow about Terry Redlin next?
ReplyDeleteYes, thank you for continuing the tradition!
ReplyDeleteI worry about the day someone says "what tradition, why Tuesdays?"
Sigh.
Stay away from crowds.
Miss you, old boy. Highlight of my week some weeks.
I have three Audubon prints: Mallards, Catbirds and Coopers hawk. They are pretty pricey these days.
ReplyDeleteWe had a brief run in with some Audubon Society members when we pull up a a boat ramp after duck hunting. Some made snide remarks about killing such beautiful birds. I said you do know old James shot the birds he painted. They left in a huff.