Blue Jay
Buy this print on Etsy →A brilliant flash of blue from the greatest bird book ever made, this print of blue jays comes from John James Audubon's monumental 'The Birds of America.' Three vivid jays are shown life-size and full of mischief, their crested heads, bold black collars and patterned blue-and-white wings rendered in exquisite detail as they clamber over a branch. It is a portrait bursting with energy, colour and character - Audubon at his very best.
Audubon (1785-1851) devoted his life to painting every bird in America at its true size and in its natural attitude, roaming the wilderness for years to do it. Published between 1827 and 1838 as a set of enormous 'double elephant folio' plates, his 'Birds of America' captured 435 species with a drama and intimacy no naturalist had achieved before, and it remains one of the most treasured books in the world. Rather than posing his subjects as lifeless specimens, he caught them mid-action - which is why his birds still feel so alive today.
The blue jay is a perfect Audubon subject: intelligent, bold and famously cheeky, its startling blue plumage among the most beautiful of any North American songbird. Audubon gives the trio real personality, hinting at the jay's clever, slightly roguish reputation while capturing every feather with scientific care.
As wall art it is a joyful burst of colour. The vivid blues make it a natural for a living room, study or sunroom, a nursery or child's room, a kitchen or a gallery wall of bird prints, and it suits naturalist, farmhouse, cottagecore and eclectic interiors. It is a wonderful gift for bird watchers, nature lovers and anyone drawn to vintage ornithology, and it pairs beautifully with other Audubon and antique bird plates.
Because the original was published in the first half of the nineteenth century, it is firmly in the public domain, which is why we can reproduce it at full museum quality.
Each print is produced on premium 189 gsm museum-grade archival matte paper, faithfully capturing the brilliant blues, fine feather detail and warm antique paper of the original plate - ready to frame and enjoy for years to come.
