Audubon's Mississippi Kites
About John James Audubon
JJ Audubon is certainly one of America's treasures and will always be remembered
for his love of natural history and the legacy that he left with his books and
prints. When one considers the enormity of his undertakings and the extent of
his travels and efforts, it is hard to imagine that all of this was done in one
short lifetime. No undertaking before and after Audubon has production the sheer
beauty and artistic mastery of the birds and quadrupeds of North America. For many years after his death, his works were not given the importance that they deserved. Many tragedies fell on the Audubon family, and the family ended up destitute having to sell many of his original painting for unbelievable paltry sums. The original paintings were sold for $4,000. Today each painting would be worth in excess of one million dollars.
Although his original paintings are in institutions, a number of his books have been broken and the individual prints have afforded the public the opportunity to own a piece of Audubon's legacy. These individual prints have greatly appreciated in the last ten to twenty years. There are only so many prints available and with the gaining notoriety of his works, it is highly likely that this appreciation will continue.
