Find Audubon's Masterpieces in Central Park!

Northern Saw whet Owl, one of the many birds that can be seen in Central Park. [John James Audubon (1785–1851) *Northern Saw-whet Owl* (Aegolius acadicus), Havell pl. 199, ca. 1833. Watercolor, graphite, pastel, black chalk, gouache, and black ink on paper, laid on card; 20 1/2 x 13 1/8 in. (52.1 x 33.3 cm). Purchased for the Society by public subscription from Mrs. John J. Audubon, 1863.17.199]

On March 21, Audubon’s Aviary:Parts Unknown will open at the New-York Historical Society, featuring over 100 of Audubon’s watercolors for The Birds of America. Some of these birds will seem exotic to North Americans, but did you know that many of them can be found in the city’s own backyard: Central Park?

Some birds are familiar to most people, like the Canada Goose, Mallard, and the American Tree Sparrow. But Central Park is also home to some more majestic birds, like the Great Blue Heron and the Northern Saw-whet Owl. Last year, I even found a Black-crowned Night Heron there while on my lunch break!

1016592_10100223044673509_644585522_n — Black-crowned Night Heron in Central Park [Photo by Jaya Saxena]

John James Audubon (1785–1851) Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), Havell pl. 236, 1832 Watercolor, gouache, black ink, graphite, pastel, and collage with scratching out and selective glazing on paper, laid on card; 25 7/16 x 37 7/8 in. (64.6 x 96.2 cm) Purchased for the Society by public subscription from Mrs. John J. Audubon, 1863.17.236 — John James Audubon (1785–1851), *Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)*, Havell pl. 236, 1832. Watercolor, gouache, black ink, graphite, pastel, and collage with scratching out and selective glazing on paper, laid on card; 25 7/16 x 37 7/8 in. (64.6 x 96.2 cm). Purchased for the Society by public subscription from Mrs. John J. Audubon, 1863.17.236

There are numerous birding groups that traverse the park in search of these glorious birds. Tell us, what have you found?

Audubon's Work Becomes Feathering For Rats Nests

March 28, 2013

Our current exhibition Audubon's Aviary: Part 1 of the Complete Flock is now open, and everyone is loving the collection of original watercolors displayed throughout the second floor. But did you know that the exhibition also features some lesser-known Auduboniana? One of our favorites is this Meiji Period (approximately 1868-1912) woodcut depicting John James Audubon. Audubon was very popular in Japan, a country with a long history of depicting nature and wildlife in art. In Audubon's Ornithological...Read More

Picasso’s “Le Tricorne” makes its N-YHS Debut

May 29, 2015

Have you ever seen America’s largest Picasso painting? On May 17 a score of art handlers completed the epic installation of Picasso’s 96-year-old stage curtain from Le Tricorne ballet in our N-YHS gallery. The rideau de scène hung in the iconic Four Seasons Restaurant for nearly six decades before it was moved to an art conservation facility in Williamstown, MA, earlier this year. In preparation for its New-York Historical arrival, nearby tree limbs were cut...Read More

For Red-Tailed Hawks, Skyscrapers Are Just Cliffs

December 4, 2012

As we've mentioned before, John James Audubon often depicted the dark side of nature through birds of prey. His watercolor of two Red-Tailed Hawks shows two of the birds fighting over a fresh kill, a common sight in bird territory. However, many people assume that a bird's habitat is a secluded forest or cliffside. Not so in New York City! One readers tells us he spotted a Red-Tailed Hawk on his apartment building, saying, "For them, tall...Read More

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