Who is John James Audubon ?

Born in Haiti, raised in France, the American painter Audubon was a pupil of David in Paris in 1795-1796, about the same time as his compatriot John Vanderlyn. But unlike the latter, he does not agree to permanent neo-classical aesthetics. Back in the U.S. in 1807, he devoted himself to natural history, painting a few oil paintings and watercolors especially after countless exotic birds of America (Natural History Museum, New York). These precious documents zoos are no less remarkable for their decorative quality and the sense of mystery, the "vital force" contained in the flora and fauna.