This Strange Wilderness: The Life and Art of John James AudubonBirds were "the objects of my greatest delight," wrote John James Audubon (1785-1851), founder of modern ornithology and one of the world's greatest bird painters. His masterpiece, The Birds of America depicts almost five hundred North American bird species, each image--lifelike and life size--rendered in vibrant color. Audubon was also an explorer, a woodsman, a hunter, an entertaining and prolific writer, and an energetic self-promoter. Through talent and dogged determination, he rose from backwoods obscurity to international fame. In This Strange Wilderness, award-winning author Nancy Plain brings together the amazing story of this American icon's career and the beautiful images that are his legacy. Before Audubon, no one had seen, drawn, or written so much about the animals of this largely uncharted young country. Aware that the wilderness and its wildlife were changing even as he watched, Audubon remained committed almost to the end of his life "to search out the things which have been hidden since the creation of this wondrous world." This Strange Wilderness details his art and writing, transporting the reader back to the frontiers of early nineteenth-century America. |
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THIS STRANGE WILDERNESS: The Life and Art of John James Audubon
User Review - KirkusJohn James Audubon's 1838 masterpiece, The Birds of America, "marked the beginning of modern ornithology," and this volume dramatizes the life and times of the man who devoted his life to creating it ... Read full review
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User Review - Sullywriter - LibraryThingA wonderfully written introduction to Audubon's life and work, handsomely designed and full of beautiful reproductions of his art. Read full review
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This Strange Wilderness: The Life and Art of John James Audubon Nancy Plain No preview available - 2015 |