Yellow Wagtail

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Listen to the Yellow Wagtail’s call here: https://www.audubon.org/sites/default/files/snd-1-961-149-2804963252304559332.mp3?uuid=560e688a50f98

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audubon yellowPreparing for ART 562, Seminar in American Art-Impossible Images, taught by Rachael Z. DeLue, we pulled a selection of Audubon paintings and drawings including this preparatory drawing for the Yellow Wagtail finished in 1834. John Woodhouse Audubon, the son of John James Audubon, worked on his dad’s famous project: John James Audubon (1785-1851), The Birds of America : from original drawings (London: Pub. by the author, 1827-38). 4 v. 100 cm. Rare Books: South East (RB) Oversize EX 8880.134.11e

Princeton has a rich collection of Audubon material, by the father and the son. One of the best descriptions can be found in the exhibition catalogue: Howard C. Rice, “The World of John James Audubon; Catalogue of an Exhibition at the Princeton University Library. 15 May-30 September 1959” published in the Princeton University Library Chronicle XXI, 1&2 (Autumn, 1959 & Winter, 1959) pp. 9-88. [full text]

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John Woodhouse Audubon (1812-1862), Yellow Wagtail (Matacilla flava), 1834. Pencil and watercolor, and gouache on paper. Signed: “Drawn from Nature by J. W. Audubon. Sunday, Sept. 21, 1834. London.” Graphic Arts Collection GC 154

The Yellow Wagtail did not make it into the Birds . You can double check this thanks to The University of Pittsburgh’s digitized copy of The Birds of America here: http://digital.library.pitt.edu/a/audubon/plates.html