John James Audubon: The Watercolors for the Birds of America [Hardcover]

Annette Blaugrund (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 21, 1993

A companion volume to The New-York Historical Society's exhibition of the paintings of John James Audubon features full-color reproductions of all 470 original watercolors created for The Birds of America. 75,000 first printing. $150,000 ad/promo.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 302 pages
• Publisher: Villard; 1st edition (September 21, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679420592
• ISBN-13: 978-0679420590
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 10.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #593,842 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Annette Blaugrund, an art historian, former curator and museum director, has written six books and contributed seven chapters to other books about American art and artists, in addition to writing 29 aticles. The National Academy Museum where she worked as director for eleven years (1997-2007) honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award (2008). She was designated a Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 1992, among other honors. Currently, she sits on several philanthropic boards, juries art competitions, and writes essays for magazines and catalogues. She holds a Ph.D. in art history from Columbia University (1987) where for six years she taught American art and culture (1996-2001), sits on the Advisory Council of the Department of Art and Archeology, and teaches a mentoring class. Currently she gives lectures across the US about her latest book, Dispensing Beauty in NY and Beyond: The Triumphs and Tragedies of Harriet Hubbard Ayer.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great stuff, even though I hate Roman numerals., February 18, 1998

By 

John W. Steiner (Lithonia, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: John James Audubon: The Watercolors for the Birds of America (Hardcover)

Excellent scholarly work that explains and shows what Audubon did, and how he did it. As a collector of original Audubon Havell prints, I found the introductory chapters to be informative, readable and very helpful. Wonderful explanations of his technique. About eighty of the plates are rendered nearly full size in this large book. The other 390 are included in an index as full-color 3 X 4 prints. All of the 435 original "Birds of America" images are in this book as well as quite a few other Audubon watercolors that were never syndicated for printing. There are several appendices including one that lists the actual size of each watercolor. Very helpful to a collector. I especially enjoy comparing Audubon's original watercolor paintings depicted in this book, with the large, excellent renderings of the Havell prints in "Audubon Birds of America" by Tim Parmentor, also available from Amazon. My one tiny complaint is that all of the color images are designated by the Roman numerals that Audubon assigned to them. Pain in the neck. Great gift book for both art students and birdwatchers.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A LANDMARK PUBLICATION, January 10, 2005

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: John James Audubon: The watercolors for The birds of America (Hardcover)

That John James Audubon was America's foremost naturalist there can be no doubt. That John James Audubon: The Watercolors for the Birds of America, published by Villard Books in association with the New York Historical Society, is a landmark publication there should be no doubt.

A companion volume to a museum exhibition, this magnificent presentation of 470 color illustrations is a significant contribution to the worlds of art, nature and ornithology. In addition to the stunningly reproduced art, the volume contains four excellent articles: Theodore E. Stebbins, Jr. examines Audubon's artistic development; Annette Blaugrund discusses his skills as an entrepreneur; Amy Meyers presents Audubon as a naturalist; and Reba Fishman Snyder sheds light on the technical aspects of the watercolors.

John James Audubon: The Watercolors for the Birds of America is a superb representation of the works of an artist and naturalist who knows no peer.

- Gail Cooke

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Art Worth Framing . ., December 12, 2010

By 

L. K. Elmore "creekside" (Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: John James Audubon: The Watercolors for Birds of America Calendar (Calendar)

You really could frame this as prints when you are finished with calendar. I have done this before and they turn out beautifully! Everybody comments on these calendars - I get them every year.