Pecktorial attraction
Birds book lands at National museum
IN A NEW EXHIBITION opening on 12 February, the National Museum of Scotland will display 46 unbound prints from National Museums Scotland's collection and a rare bound volume of Audubon's Birds of America.
The book is one of the largest, rarest and most coveted and was first published as a series between 1827 and 1838.
Artist James Audubon (17851851) produced four volumes consisting of 435 hand coloured prints. It was the culmination of his ambition to paint every bird species in North America. The illustrations are animated, dramatic and detailed. The life-sized birds were printed on paper which was almost 1 metre long, but even then some larger species had to be posed in contorted positions to fit them on the page.
These illustrations are from nature and the works were pioneering in depicting the birds in lifelike poses. Traditionally celebrated as the American woodsman, adventurer and naturalist, Audubon identified more than 20 new species. His work hangs in the White House, and his artwork is some of the most famous in the history of art and natural sciences.