John James Audubon (1785–1851) with Joseph Mason (1808–1842), "Yellow Warbler” (Dendroica petechia), Havell plate no. 35, 1821, watercolor, graphite, pastel, black ink, charcoal, and touches of gouache with selective glazing on paper, laid on thin board; 18 7/8 by 11¾ inches. Purchased for the society by public subscription from Mrs John J. Audubon.
:More than 40 original Audubon watercolors depicting birds that once flourished but are now gone forever or are threatened with extinction — along with species that have come back from the brink — will go on display as part of "Audubon's Aviary: Portraits of Endangered Species," the fourth installment of the New-York Historical Society's five-year Audubon exhibition series. From February 8 through March 16 dozens of Audubon masterpieces that will not be seen again until 2018 will be part of the multimedia "Virtual Aviary."
"Audubon's Aviary: Portraits of Endangered Species" has as its centerpiece the giant, original watercolors that Audubon prepared for the seminal
Birds of America
, as well as rarely seen selections from the society's unrivaled collection of Auduboniana. A multisensory experience, the exhibition will also feature recorded bird calls and video from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
A rite of spring for New York museumgoers, the historical society's annual Audubon show explains the current conservation status of this year's featured flock — from the once-endangered and now extinct Carolina parakeet and the passenger pigeon to the critically threatened piping plover and whooping crane. the exhibition also features success stories of species that have rebounded due to changes in habitat, human recovery efforts, or pure accident, including the California Condor and the Eastern Bluebird.
Supplementary public programs will include a gallery tour and guided bird walks in Central Park. The New-York Historical Society is at 170 Central Park West, between 76 and 77 Streets. For information,
www.nyhistory.org
or 212-873-3400.
