John James Audubon is a famous wildlife painter and naturalist. He was born in Haiti in 1785 and raised in France by his step-mother. When he was a boy he enjoyed wandering through the woods, collecting things from nature, and watching the birds. That’s when he began to draw pictures of birds and animals.

When Jean Jacques (as he was called) was eighteen years old his father sent him to America. When he arrived, the young man changed his name to John James because it sounded more American. He started some businesses for his father and watched over his farm near Philadelphia.

John James continued to draw of course. He taught himself through trial and error. His favorite subject was birds. He switched from drawing them in pastels to drawing them in watercolors.

Audubon’s wife, Lucy, was a constant source of encouragement to him. He said of her, “With her, was I not always rich?” Their sons, Victor and John, grew up to become artists also. They helped their father with the painting of the backgrounds for his birds.They were also active in the publication of his works.

When Audubon was 35 years old, he took an eight month trip down the Mississippi River to find birds and paint them. He was the first person to start bird-banding studies in America. He tied lightweight strings to their legs, and he could track their travels as they nested, left the area, and then returned to the nest.

Lucy was able to support their family by teaching while Audubon pursued his dream of publishing a book of drawings of birds. Audubon went through many financial hardships. If Lucy had not been such an independent woman, he probably could not have fulfilled his dream. He gave art lessons to support himself, and at one point even taught dancing lessons to make a little money while he looked for a publisher for his drawings.

Audubon was not successful in America, so he went to England to sell his work. While he was there, Audubon dressed as a woodsman and he let his hair grow long. He worked long hours and painted in public so people could watch him work. Before he returned to America, he sold subscriptions to his future artwork. Audubon created engravings for his clients. His drawings were printed from copper plates then watercolored by hand. The artwork was delivered to his subscribers in installments, five engravings at a time. There would be one large picture of a bird, one medium-size bird, and three small birds. A subscription cost $1,000, which was a lot of money in the 1800’s.

In 1826, Audubon created his masterwork. It was a set of life-like and life-size bird prints. The collection of prints was labeled a “Double Elephant” portfolio. It was called Birds of America. The huge leather bound books originally sold for $1,070 but, in 2003, the complete leather bound set sold for over $8,000,000.

Audubon died four months before his 66th birthday. After his death, Lucy Audubon started a school. One of her students, George Grinnell, loved birds just as Audubon did. In 1883, He founded the Audubon Society to protect birds and their habitats. 39,000 people joined the society that year and it continues its mission today as a non-profit environmental organization. You can learn more about Audubon and the National Aubudon Society at Audubon.org.

Portrait by yours truly
Biography adapted from Garden of Praise’s free educational resources