In the Footsteps of Audubon
- In the Footsteps of Audubon by Denis Clavreul (Princeton University Press, 2022).
- 242 pages, 272 colour and black-and-white illustrations, black-and-white maps.
- ISBN: 9780691237688. Hbk, £35.
- Buy at BirdGuides bookshop from £27.99
Perhaps the most legendary expedition in ornithology wasn't undertaken by pioneering collectors, but that of John James Audubon. The French-American artist and scientist aimed to paint every type of North American bird on a series of long-distance journeys across the newly opening continent, and in the process discovered 25 new species (though he was also a pioneering collector).
Many of his paintings were developed from specimens sourced by others but his prints were relayed across to Europe, where they commanded high prices and inspired awe and curiosity. A similar journey has been undertaken for the last 16 years by the French watercolourist Denis Clavreul, who has now had 250 of the resulting paintings compiled in this sturdy art book to impressive effect.
Audubon's originals were largely painted to illustrate life-like details of the birds and their behaviour, although their accuracy has been debated ever since (with some of his 'less natural-looking' depictions having since been vindicated). Clavreul's style is more impressionistic, capturing a more 'jizzy' feel from his subjects that enables this copiously illustrated tome to come across as an engaging memoir and travelogue – more so than Audubon's, in fact.
His brushstrokes tell stories paralleling Audubon's and Clavreul's childhoods in France, then guide us from the Midwest to Florida and north to Newfoundland – like his historical mentor, he doesn't include the Pacific coast. The paintings take in mammals, insects, plants, landscapes and people, but mostly the key bird species. These are captured in all manner of life-like poses, with pencil sketches and finished images all present – the overall effect is like the best field sketchbook you'll ever see.
Each picture has a detailed, slightly abstract beauty worthy of the price of admission in itself, but every chapter has an accompanying essay comparing the vast differences between the North America of today with that experienced by Audubon. Clavreul's own work is distinct and mature, bearing little resemblance to that of his ostensible hero. And that is what makes the book worthwhile: the vision of a gifted modern artist working in an undervalued medium to represent a journey through the now-tamed wilderness – all with a deep sensitivity to the current state of nature and conservation.
