Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), Havell plate no. 21

Title
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), Havell plate no. 21
Date 
c.1825
Medium 
Watercolor, graphite, pastel, black chalk, gouache, and black ink with touches of scratching out and selective glazing on paper, laid on card
Dimensions 
Paper: 29 3/4 x 20 7/8 in. (75.6 x 53 cm) Mat: 52 x 39 in. (132.1 x 99.1 cm)
Credit Line 
Purchased for New-York Historical by public subscription from Mrs. John J. Audubon
Object Number 
1863.17.21
Marks 
Watermark: JWHATMAN / 18[?]
Gallery Label 
The background flora has been identified as Yellow jessamine (Gelsemium empervirens). The rattle snake was copied from a drawing made at Oakley Plantation August 25, 1821.
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.

Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), Study for Havell pl. no. 98

Title
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), Study for Havell pl. no. 98
Date 
1824
Medium 
Watercolor, graphite, gouache, pastel, black chalk, and black ink with selective glazing on paper, laid on card
Dimensions 
Paper: 18 15/16 x 11 13/16 in. (48.1 x 30 cm)Mat: 29 x 23 in. (73.7 x 58.4 cm)
Description 
Male, above; female, below
Credit Line 
Purchased for New-York Historical by public subscription from Mrs. John J. Audubon
Object Number 
1863.17.100
Inscriptions 
Inscribed under egg at left in graphite: "usually 5."; at lower left in gray ink: "Drawn by John J. Audubon / from Nature - Philadelphia May 17th, 1824"; at lower center in gray and brown ink: "Green-blue, or White Bellied Swallow Male 1. F. 2. / Hirundo Vividis[crossed out] bicolor"; at lower right: "No 20. / Plate 100."; upper and lower birds numbered respectively in brown ink: "1"; "2"
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.

Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris), Study for Havell pl. no. 100

Title
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris), Study for Havell pl. no. 100
Date 
1829
Medium 
Watercolor and graphite with touches of pastel and black ink, and selective glazing on paper, laid on card
Dimensions 
Paper: 18 5/8 x 11 7/16 in. (47.3 x 29.1 cm)Mat: 29 x 23 in. (73.7 x 58.4 cm)
Description 
Females, left; male, right
Credit Line 
Purchased for New-York Historical by public subscription from Mrs. John J. Audubon
Object Number 
1863.17.98
Inscriptions 
Inscribed at lower left in brown ink: "Marsh Wren male. 1. F. 2. 3. & Nest. 4. / Troglodytes palustris. / New Jersey June 22d / J.J.A."; at lower right: "No. 20. / Plate 98[crossed out and renumbered in graphite] 100"; birds numbered counterclockwise from middle right: "1"; "2"; "3"; nest: "4."
Gallery Label 
Oil of this watercolor (probably Joseph Kidd) owned by Dr. and Mrs. Michael Hiedelberger, NYC
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.

Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), Study for Havell pl. no. 87

Title
Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), Study for Havell pl. no. 87
Date 
1829
Medium 
Watercolor, graphite, pastel, and black ink with touches of gouache and selective glazing on paper, laid on card
Dimensions 
Paper: 29 3/8 x 20 15/16 in. (74.6 x 53.2 cm)Mat: 53 x 39 in. (134.6 x 99.1 cm)
Credit Line 
Purchased for New-York Historical by public subscription from Mrs. John J. Audubon
Object Number 
1863.17.87
Inscriptions 
Inscribed at lower left in brown ink: "No 18. Plate 87."; below in graphite: "Garrulus Floridanus / Florida Jay / Florida Keys / John J. A"; at lower center in brown ink: "Florida Jay / Garrulus Floridanus male 1 F. 2. / Diospyros virginiana / vulgo Persimon"; at lower right in graphite[erased]: "Diospyros Virginiana / vulgo Persimon"; lower bird numbered in brown ink: "2"
Gallery Label 
The background flora has been identified as Common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), Study for Havell pl. no. 76

Title
Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), Study for Havell pl. no. 76
Date 
c. 1825
Medium 
Watercolor, pastel, graphite, black ink, oil, gouache, black chalk, collage, and outlining with a stylus on paper, with selective glazing on paper, laid on card
Dimensions 
Paper: 25 13/16 x 39 3/8 in. (65.6 x 100 cm)Mat: 39 x 53 in. (99.1 x 134.6 cm)
Description 
Immature hawk attacking male, female and young Bobwhites
Credit Line 
Purchased for New-York Historical by public subscription from Mrs. John J. Audubon
Object Number 
1863.17.76
Inscriptions 
Inscribed at upper right in brown ink: "No 16. plate 76. Published 1829[crossed out] 1830. / Virginian Partridge. / Males adult 1. / Do " -- Young -- 2. / Females adult -- 3 / Do "-- Young -- 4. / very Young birds 5. / perdix Virginiana"; 18 partridges numbered in brown ink as per preceding identification
Gallery Label 
Blades of grass in foreground pasted on
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.

Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythrophthalmus), Study for Havell pl. no. 32

Title
Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythrophthalmus), Study for Havell pl. no. 32
Date 
1822
Medium 
Watercolor, graphite, pastel, gouache, and black ink with scratching out and touches of glazing on paper, laid on card
Dimensions 
Paper: 24 3/16 x 19 7/16 in. (61.4 x 49.4 cm)Mat: 35 x 27 in. (88.9 x 68.6 cm)
Description 
Female left; male right
Credit Line 
Purchased for New-York Historical by public subscription from Mrs. John J. Audubon
Object Number 
1863.17.32
Inscriptions 
Inscribed at lower left of center in graphite[erased]: "no. 32"; at lower right: "11 1/4[?] Inches / 14[?] 3/4 " -- " "; at lower right: "No. 33"; at middle right: "Weight...[illegible]"; above: "Male / 1"; at left of center: "2. female"
Gallery Label 
The background flora has been identified as southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora).
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.

Audubon’s Aviary: Part I of the Complete Flock

Mar 8 2013 - May 19 2013

To celebrate the sesquicentennial of the New-York Historical Society’s purchase of the Audubon avian watercolors and the the release of the lavishly illustrated book Audubon’s Aviary: The Original Watercolors for “The Birds of America”―published by the New-York Historical Society and Skira/Rizzoli and winner of a 2013 New York Book Show Award—the New-York Historical Society plans a sweeping three-part exhibition to showcase every masterpiece from its unparalleled collection of John James Audubon’s preparatory watercolor models for the sumptuous double-elephant-folio print edition of The Birds of America (1827–38). Over three years Audubon’s Aviary: The Complete Flock (Parts I–III), will feature all 474 stunning avian watercolors by Audubon in the collection, alongside engaging state-of-the-art media installations that will provide a deeper understanding of the connection between art and nature.

John James Audubon (1785-1851), Great Egret (Ardea alba), 1821. Watercolor, graphite, pastel, gouache, white lead pigment, black ink, and black chalk with selective glazing on paper, laid on card. New-York Historical Society, Purchased for the Society by public subscription from Mrs. John J. Audubon, 1863.18.30

The trilogy Audubon’s Aviary: The Complete Flock is a once-in-a-lifetime series (2013–2015) that will explore the evolution of Audubon’s dazzling watercolors in the order in which they were engraved. Visitors to New-York Historical will have the unique opportunity to view these national treasures sequentially and in their entirety for the first time—the same way his original subscribers received the Havell plates.

Digital Collection

Digital Collection

Dive in to the New-York Historical Society’s online museum collections featuring more than 60,000 artifacts and works of art from our collection. Fine art holdings include renowned Hudson River School landscapes, masterpieces of colonial portraiture, and John James Audubon's watercolors for The Birds of America. Our stunning silver and Tiffany lamp collections are the stars of our decorative arts holdings.

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Hudson River Birds: In Celebration of the Quadricentennial of Henry Hudson’s Voyage

Jul 13 2009 - Oct 11 2009

The New-York Historical Society, which holds all 435 dazzling preparatory watercolors for John James Audubon’s The Birds of America (1827-38), continues to showcase a thematic selection of these masterpieces in an installation in the Luce Center, rotating them to ensure that these national treasures remain available to future generations.

Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus), Havell plate no. 199, ca.1833, John James Audubon, 1785-1851, Watercolor, graphite, pastel, black chalk, gouache, and black ink on paper, laid on card, Purchased for the Society by public subscription from Mrs. John J. Audubon, 1863.17.199

To thematically dovetail with the 400 year celebration of Henry Hudson's historic voyage of discovery, and the exhibition Dutch New York between East and West: The World of Margrieta van Varick at the Bard Graduate Center Gallery organized in collaboration with the New-York Historical Society, five of Audubon's watercolors of birds who perch or live along the Hudson River are displayed. One, the Hudsonian Godwit, is even named after a namesake of the explorer's and is found along the river during migration.

Lincoln’s and Other Sparrows for The Birds of America

May 13 2009 - Dec 3 2009

The New-York Historical Society, which holds all 435 dazzling preparatory watercolors for John James Audubon's The Birds of America (1827-38), continues to showcase a thematic selection of these masterpieces, rotating them to ensure that these national treasures remain available to future generations.

Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii), Havell plate no. 193, 1833, John James Audubon, 1785-1851, Watercolor, graphite, pastel, and gouache with touches of black ink and selective glazing on paper, laid on card, Credit Line: Purchased for the Society by public subscription from Mrs. John J. Audubon, 1863.17.193

Sparrows: Good Things Come in Small Packages

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