September 12, 2008 to January 4, 2009

Birds, with their vivacious colorful nature and amazing variety, have always been a subject of fascination by amateur naturalists, but it wasn’t until the early 19th century that Ornithology, or the study of birds, emerged as a science. Along with the growth of scientific data, the art of portraying birds evolved.

John Gould The Sulpher-and-white breasted Toucan Monograph of the Ramphastidae or Family of Toucans (1834)

The Illustrated Bird surveys three centuries of bird illustration and includes works by celebrated artists such as Edward Lear, John Gould, and John James Audubon.