Birds of Enlightenment

Despite his great fame, John James Audubon was not the first to produce crisp and accurate images of birds for sale to an increasingly curious public. His monumental work was indebted to earlier artist-scientists, starting with late Italian Renaissance pioneers in ornithology to his own Victorian contemporaries. These less well-known artists, the main subject of the Meadows Museum of Art exhibition, Birds of the Enlightenment, were fueled by curiosity and incredible voyages of discovery. They documented and classified nature accurately, contributing to advances in both science and art. Guest Curator Tom Puryear has assembled a collection of over ninety woodcuts, hand-colored engravings, and lithographs from both sides of the Atlantic to reveal the many illustrated publications that preceded and then competed for attention with Audubon’s efforts.

In conjunction with Dr. Puryear's Birds of the Enlightenment exhibition, the Meadows Museum will also exhibit nine watercolors by Don Brown from the Meadows' Permanent Collection.

Free events related to Birds of the Enlightenment:

• November 17, 7 pm: Dr. Victoria Cummins, professor of history at Austin College, shares her extensive research on Don Brown in her lecture, From the Lost Generation to the Liberal Arts: Don Brown's Journey to Centenary.
• January 10, 6:30 pm-7:30 pm: Nodie Williams, vice president of Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Louisiana and Certified Interpretive Guide, will teach visitors about how and how not to rescue birds. 

centenary.edu/campus-community/meadows-museum.