Audubon Honored at Academy of Sciences Exhibit

By Ryder W. Miller

As part of its Earth Day celebration, the California Academy of Sciences is showcasing some of the famous bird paintings of artist, scientist and pre-cursor to environmentalism: John James Audubon.

Through June 24, the Academy of Sciences will be exhibiting 52 lithographs made from the original color engravings for Audubon's famous "Birds of America," published in England between 1827 and 1838.

Both an artist and a scientist, Audubon (1785-1851) strove to show the natural behaviors of birds in his paintings. He believed that artistic vision, not just accuracy, was necessary to give the birds life. Audubon painted at a time before binoculars, video tape and photography.

But he was also a scientist.

"He certainly broadened our notion of the birds of North America and the Americas through his documentation of the species," said Alan Hopkins, former president of the Golden Gate Audubon Society and Sunset District resident. "He documented species that were unknown in North America."

Audubon's paintings also recorded some things that no longer exist, like Carolina Parakeets and the Passenger Pigeon.

"He was really looking at birds. He was a real scientific bird watcher," said Dr. Douglas Bell, assistant biology professor at California State University at Sacramento. Bell is impressed by his accuracy, calling some of the paintings "snapshots." Audubon focused on details such as the color of the eye ring in the painting of the Black Backed Gull or the angle which the Osprey carries a fish.

"He's exactly right and he's aerodynamic," Bell said.

There was much competition in ornithological circles in his day, his chief competitor being his predecessor Alexander Wilson (1766-1813), who depicted birds in a nine-volume set entitled "American Ornithology," published between 1808 and 1814.

Audubon wired freshly killed birds that he caught in the field and then painted them. Familiar with the activities of birds, Audubon was able to deftly depict the shapes, plumage, textures, colors and postures of birds more accurately than others.

Audubon depicted live and dynamic birds rather than portraits of two dimensional birds. He captured "birdness" on canvass.

According to Stephen May in Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine, he was unsuccessful in America, where he was found to be arrogant and brash, but successfully published his prints in England.

"He popularized both the beauty of birds and the importance of birds by being able to present them in such an enticing way," said Hopkins. "He brought birds to the general public rather than just the ornithologists."

Audubon inspired the Audubon Movement, which grew into the Audubon Society, still one of the largest environmental organizations in the country.

He owed much to his wife Lucy, who he met on her father's farm.

Shirley Streshinsky writes in "Audubon, Life and Art in the American Wilderness:" "Lucy Bakewell was not pretty; it was not until her father returned and she rose to arrange lunch that Audubon noticed her figure, which was tall and straight and very fine. It didn't matter that she was plain; she was sure of herself, and in her presence, he felt secure."

As relayed in "The Audubon Ark" by Frank Graham, Jr., the Audubon Movement was started after his death by a student of Lucy's.

George Bird Grinnell proposed the Audubon Society in February 1886. It initially failed, but sprang up later in small groups across the country. One of its first aims was to stop the use of birds and bird feathers for hat decorations.

The Audubon Society can be contrasted with its old environmental sibling The Sierra Club, and Audubon with Sierra Club founder John Muir, who found God's handiwork in the beauty of nature. The Audubon Society, less focused on large natural areas and scenic vistas, tends to focus more on bird and wildlife populations.

"We are interested in protecting birds in all habitats rather than just protecting rarefied habitats," said Hopkins. "We're both committed to protecting wild areas. We have more in common than differences."

Hopkins, who graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute, said Audubon had a wonderful sense of composition.

"It is fascinating to see the way he used montage and collage to create images," said Hopkins. "I think there is a lot to be learned from him. I am inspired by the quality of his work."