My grandson, Oliver, has shown a keen interest in birds and art, so I planned an adventure with him:
I went up to Groveland, stayed overnight, and got him up at 7, went out to Plum Island, and several great things happened: a Yellowthroat flew up beside the car, perhaps three feet away from the window, and sang and sang, and Oliver was dumfounded. And then later we saw a Wilson's Snipe, Oliver's first.
Then we drove to the Currier Gallery of Art in Manchester, NH, to visit the Audubon exhibition on his last trip to America to document Mammals.
One of the funniest satires I have ever heard was put on by the Chicago Art Museum, advertising a book for sale, the "Greatest 100 square inches in Art" (you know, Mona Lisa's smile, Michaelangelo's David's ....well, you know, and so I did the same this trip, focusing on details.
So here is the collection. I challenge you to go to the Currier and find the whole picture!
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It seems that Audubon was particularly fond of the violence he found in nature,
and so many of his animals are in fierce or cornered mode. Here is a good selection! |
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| Here is one of the 17 complete bird folios known to exist. |
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| And so, here is some of those lovely "square inches" |
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| This painting is barely 6 square inches |
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| Martin Heade's signature |
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| Oliver was a great companion, I truly enjoyed him. |
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