Birds of America (Audubon)
Buy this print on Etsy →Look closely at any leaf of The Birds of America and you sense a naturalist's astonishment made visible, a quality Plate 18 shares in full. A bird of the New World stands or perches at life size, its plumage and gesture recorded with the intimacy of firsthand observation. Audubon did not merely catalog species; he staged them amid the branches, grasses, and skies of their own country, so each plate reads like a scene caught in passing. The result is at once a scientific document and a work of enduring poetry.
John James Audubon's project was audacious for its era. Determined to portray America's birds at their actual dimensions, he produced watercolors that were engraved and issued between 1827 and 1838 as the double elephant folio The Birds of America, its pages roughly a metre in height. In London, Robert Havell Jr. converted the paintings into hand-colored aquatint engravings, a painstaking process in which acid-etched copper plates and layers of applied color yielded images of remarkable subtlety and depth. Only a few complete sets survive intact, and they rank among the most coveted books ever printed. Our reproduction of Plate 18 lets you keep a piece of that legacy close at hand.
Every poster is created as a fine-art reproduction on museum-grade 189gsm archival matte paper printed with pigment inks. This pairing delivers deep blacks, faithful color, and excellent longevity, while the smooth matte finish evokes the tactile feel of the original engraving and eliminates distracting glare. You can select from five sizes, 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, 20x30, and 24x36 inches, to fit a snug nook or a bold feature wall, and each is produced individually to order for you. The finished print is shipped rolled in a protective tube and arrives ready to frame in the style that best suits your room. This is a new archival reproduction made for display, not an original antique.
An Audubon plate is wonderfully versatile decor. Set it above a desk in a study for a note of learned calm, in a rustic cabin where its wild subject feels at home, or across a library wall alongside your books. Its soft naturalism suits a child's room or nursery, and several plates together build a memorable gallery wall in an entry or stairwell. As a gift for a birdwatcher, a naturalist, or a devotee of antique ornithology, this bird wall art is both handsome and meaningful.
Choose Plate 18 from The Birds of America and give a wall the timeless grace of classic ornithological art. With museum-grade materials, an authentic antique ornithology poster feel, and the lasting draw of Audubon bird art, this birds of america print is ready to frame and cherish for years to come.
