The Audubon 2nd Ed. Octavo Pl. 46 White-bellied Swallow captures Audubon’s seminal imagery on a convenient 10 ¼” × 6 ½” scale.
Initially issued by Audubon as a portable and affordable alternative to his monumental double-elephant folio prints, the Octavo edition remains popular for these same reasons today. Whether displayed individually or as a curated collection, Audubon’s 2nd Edition Octavos add elegance and sophistication to any space. Own an original Audubon today and enrich your environment with this significant piece of American natural history.
About The Birds of America
John James Audubon’s Birds of America is a highly influential work of American art and ornithological study. The Audubon prints feature detailed illustrations of North American bird species in their natural habitats, portrayed at life-size. Audubon spent two decades on this project, exploring the wilderness of America, gathering specimens, sketching birds, and meticulously documenting his observations.
Audubon’s illustrations are known for their remarkable detail and ability to capture the unique characteristics of each species. To ensure accuracy, he used various methods such as extensive field observation and referencing taxidermy specimens. He also developed a technique of wiring freshly caught birds to a gridded board, allowing him to position them realistically and depict them with precision in terms of scale, color, and movement.
The 2nd Octavo Edition
Issued in 1856, the 2nd Octavo edition of the Birds of America was published by Audubon’s son, Victor Gifford, in response to the success of the 1st miniature edition. Many of the 2nd edition octavos contain elements of chromolithography and hand coloring. They can be differentiated from their 1st edition counterparts through the presence of a tinted background.
This miniature edition, often referred to as the 2nd Royal Octavo Edition, contains 500 lithographs measuring approximately 6 ½” x 10 ¼”. In the printing process, two lithography stones were used; one to delineate the imagery with black ink and the second to create an atmospheric tint, often in blue or green. The prints were then finished with hand-applied color. Issued in phylogenic order with like species grouped together, the 2nd Edition Octavo Audubon Prints were accompanied by Audubon’s text, the Ornithological Biography, which detailed each of the depicted species. The result was a comprehensive, highly informative work of art that catered to both naturalists and appreciators of art alike.
About John James Audubon
America’s most revered artist-naturalist, John James Audubon (1785—1851), is renowned for his extraordinary undertaking to visually record the birds and mammals of North America. His publications The Birds of America & The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America are icons of 19th-century art and capture the nascent stages of American natural history.
Born in 1785 in Les Cayes, Santo Domingo (Haiti) to a Creole mother and French father, Audubon spent the early years of his life in France but moved to America at age 18. It was during this time that his appreciation for birds flourished and he developed a keen artistic acumen for rendering wildlife. It was not until 1819 when Audubon was married and the father of two sons, that he embraced the life of artist-naturalist and embarked on his venture through the backwoods of America with the intent of illustrating the avian life he encountered there.
Audubon’s muti-decade venture resulted in the publication of his monumental folio The Birds of America which documented over 700 bird species on 435 plates. In a similar manner and with the help of his two sons and his friend Reverend John Bachman, Audubon later produced The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, which contained 150 plates depicting the mammals of North America. Audubon’s folios were seismic in the fields of ornithology and mammalogy and set a new precedent for natural history illustration.
For more information about the Audubon 2nd Ed. Octavo Pl. 46 White-bellied Swallow, email us at [email protected] or check out our articles Audubon’s Miniature Folio – The Octavo Edition of Birds of America and What is a Lithograph? A Practical Guide to Understanding and Identifying Lithographic Prints.
Collecting original art doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, there are a surprising number of original paintings and antique prints that can be acquired [...]
Since its inception in 1996, our publishing company Oppenheimer Editions has partnered with major institutions to make their holdings available as modern facsimile prints. Several [...]
Have you ever wondered where the reference material for antique wildlife prints and paintings came from? In an era before photography, how did the artist [...]
Though the idea of ornamenting oneself with a bird carcass may be a bit deterring today, historically, birds and their feathers have played a major [...]
This article will examine the intaglio printmaking processes of engraving, etching, and their subsidiaries in relation to image production.
The Oppenheimer Editions Fine Art Prints of Audubon's Watercolors for The Birds of America
Picturing Combat between Different Species in Audubon's Prints
A survey of the technical translation of Audubon’s work from the monumental to the miniature. More Information About Audubon Prints & Bird ArtView All Articles
Natural History Art Treasures under $10,000
Collecting Guide: Oppenheimer Editions Audubon Prints
Exploring Early Methods of Specimen Collection in Natural History Art
Casualties of Fashion: The Contentious History of Plume Plundering
What is an Engraving? A Guide to Intaglio Printmaking Techniques
Investigating Audubon’s 50 Best Watercolors
Interspecific Encounters in Audubon’s Birds of America
Audubon’s Miniature Folio – The Octavo Edition of Birds of America
