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Audubon was not, for the record, a kind of starry-eyed precursor to the Sierra Club, leaving nature untouched by human hands. It's telling that in his self-portrait, the artist is gripping neither palette nor paintbrush but a flintlock rifle. Gunning down his ornithological subjects was a necessary prelude to portraying them. Still, Audubon had quite a few of what we moderns would call conflicted moments, during which his admiration for, say, the Mississippi kite would temporarily halt the killing spree. Here the sight of a mother attempting to rescue its chick manages to stay his itchy trigger finger--for a millisecond, anyway:
My feelings at that moment I cannot express. I wished I had not discovered the poor bird; for who could have witnessed, without emotion, so striking an example of that affection which none but a mother can feel; so daring an act, performed in the midst of smoke, in the presence of a dreaded and dangerous enemy. I followed, however, and brought both to the ground at one shot, so keen is the desire of possession!The aesthetic and taxidermal impulses have torn apart many a naturalist since then (although, to be sure, the stricken diarist was later annoyed to discover that another animal had cut in on his action: "What was my mortification, when I found that some quadruped had devoured both!") Elsewhere, Audubon records the topography of the Mississippi Valley in vivid detail, or grumbles about the tight job market: "Visited several Public Institutions where I cannot say that I Was very politely received; in one or Two Notable ones (Not Willing to Mention Names) I was invitd to Walk in and then out in very quick order." Audubon's early-19-century orthography, which the editors have meticulously retained, may take some Getting Used To. And the sheer piling up of avian corpses can seem almost comical to a modern reader. Still, Audubon worshipped pretty thoroughly, and very productively, at the shrine of the natural world. And let's recall his verdict on Liverpool's industrial landscape, which he observed during a 1826 visit: "Naked streets look dull." If only there'd been a long-billed curlew on hand! --James Marcus
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Dust Jacket Condition: New. Audubon, John James (illustrator). 1st Edition. This is a New and Unread copy of the first edition (1st printing) . In a New Dust Jacket. Christopher Irmscher selected the contents and wrote the notes for this volume). Includes the silk ribbon tie. Includes 64 full color plates and several manuscript sketches never before published.Includes general index. Seller Inventory # 053664
Book Description Condition: New. Book is in NEW condition. 2.1. Seller Inventory # 1883011817-2-1
Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published 2.1. Seller Inventory # 353-1883011817-new
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Book Description Condition: New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! 2.1. Seller Inventory # Q-1883011817