À tire-d’aile. Les portraits d’oiseaux de John James Audubon (1785-1851) : l’art naturaliste envers ou contre le vivant ?

This article explores the complex relationship between artistic creation, scientific conservation, and the destruction of the natural world in the work of John James Audubon. The author examines the status of Birds of America as an archive of the living world in the history of naturalist art, from a...

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Main Author: Marion Bélouard
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Université de Bourgogne 2024-12-01
Series:Interfaces
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/interfaces/9623
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author Marion Bélouard
author_facet Marion Bélouard
author_sort Marion Bélouard
collection DOAJ
description This article explores the complex relationship between artistic creation, scientific conservation, and the destruction of the natural world in the work of John James Audubon. The author examines the status of Birds of America as an archive of the living world in the history of naturalist art, from an ecocritical perspective. She analyses the extent to which this ornithological collection, while aiming to increase the knowledge of species, is inextricably linked to predatory practices against avifauna. Beyond the theoretical and original value of the illustrations, the way Audubon stages bird specimens in elaborate artistic compositions shapes our perception of the living world and contributes to the cultural construction of the idea of “nature”. By situating Audubon’s work within the colonial context and the history of the formation of nation-states, this study offers a nuanced reassessment of his legacy in the light of contemporary environmental issues.
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spelling doaj-art-50a8b79b306f47c7850e34cbf78ce4f72025-08-20T03:10:38ZengUniversité de BourgogneInterfaces2647-67542024-12-015210.4000/13p0nÀ tire-d’aile. Les portraits d’oiseaux de John James Audubon (1785-1851) : l’art naturaliste envers ou contre le vivant ?Marion BélouardThis article explores the complex relationship between artistic creation, scientific conservation, and the destruction of the natural world in the work of John James Audubon. The author examines the status of Birds of America as an archive of the living world in the history of naturalist art, from an ecocritical perspective. She analyses the extent to which this ornithological collection, while aiming to increase the knowledge of species, is inextricably linked to predatory practices against avifauna. Beyond the theoretical and original value of the illustrations, the way Audubon stages bird specimens in elaborate artistic compositions shapes our perception of the living world and contributes to the cultural construction of the idea of “nature”. By situating Audubon’s work within the colonial context and the history of the formation of nation-states, this study offers a nuanced reassessment of his legacy in the light of contemporary environmental issues.https://journals.openedition.org/interfaces/9623portraitAudubon (John James)naturalist artbirdshuntingorientalism
spellingShingle Marion Bélouard
À tire-d’aile. Les portraits d’oiseaux de John James Audubon (1785-1851) : l’art naturaliste envers ou contre le vivant ?
Interfaces
portrait
Audubon (John James)
naturalist art
birds
hunting
orientalism
title À tire-d’aile. Les portraits d’oiseaux de John James Audubon (1785-1851) : l’art naturaliste envers ou contre le vivant ?
title_full À tire-d’aile. Les portraits d’oiseaux de John James Audubon (1785-1851) : l’art naturaliste envers ou contre le vivant ?
title_fullStr À tire-d’aile. Les portraits d’oiseaux de John James Audubon (1785-1851) : l’art naturaliste envers ou contre le vivant ?
title_full_unstemmed À tire-d’aile. Les portraits d’oiseaux de John James Audubon (1785-1851) : l’art naturaliste envers ou contre le vivant ?
title_short À tire-d’aile. Les portraits d’oiseaux de John James Audubon (1785-1851) : l’art naturaliste envers ou contre le vivant ?
title_sort a tire d aile les portraits d oiseaux de john james audubon 1785 1851 l art naturaliste envers ou contre le vivant
topic portrait
Audubon (John James)
naturalist art
birds
hunting
orientalism
url https://journals.openedition.org/interfaces/9623
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