John James James Audubon Audubon

Wildlife artists create artworks of wild animals in their natural settings.

John James Audubon was born over 200 years ago. He grew up in France.

He spent much of his time outdoors, sketching and painting.

Audubon moved to Kentucky in 1808 and owned a store and mill. His business failed and he focused on his artwork to make money.

He painted portraits and worked as a taxidermist in a museum. He also started to paint birds.

His great goal was to paint every species of bird in North America in precise scientific detail.

Audubon’s paintings were big, each the size of a poster. He wanted his birds to appear as realistic as possible, so he painted them life sized.

Audubon’s work was a great success. Many of his later works were a family affair.

Audubon would paint the main bird while his sons painted in the background scenes.

Today, over 200 years later, Audubon is still considered one of the greatest painters of birds.