Educational Media Reviews Online

John James Audubon: Drawn From Nature documents the storied, often contradictory life of the 19th century artist and naturalist, whose name would later become synonymous with environmental conservation, and in particular, with bird conservation. Audubon was a nature artist with no formal training, yet he is credited with being the first to instill personality, tension, and even animation in his works. His most famous book, The Birds of America—a collection of 435 life-sized prints—took thirteen years to produce, and it was the largest book printed during the 19th century. Today it is regarded as one of the world’s most influential works of nature art.

Viewers of the documentary may be surprised by the scope of contradictions in Audubon’s life. The man for whom the National Audubon Society would later be named killed thousands of birds during his lifetime. He was devoted to his family, though he spent years away from them traveling to collect birds, and later to promote and sell his books. Audubon also reinvented himself as a European sophisticate when traveling in the American frontier, and then as a simple woodsman when selling his books overseas.

Audubon’s years of living in the American frontier, described in letters by the artist himself as the happiest of his life, are prominently featured in the documentary. So, too are his business successes and failures. There is an intriguing account of Audubon’s first meeting with fellow artist and naturalist Alexander Wilson, though the bitter rivalry that subsequently developed between the two men is only insinuated.

John James Audubon: Drawn From Nature is a part of the Public Broadcasting System’s award-winning American Masters series. Predictably, the writing, production and presentation is first-rate. The recounting of Audubon’s life, particularly in the context of America’s adolescence and westward expansion, is stirring and evocative. This title is highly recommended for academic, public and school library collections.