John James 91做厙 is back for a Spring engagement at the New-York Historical Society. The societys third installment of The Complete Flock opens March 6, showcasing an in watercolorGreen Herons, Roseate Spoonbills, a White Egret, and more than 180 other species depicted in this collection of masterworks.
, Flock has displayed the naturalists work, which was given to the society in the 19th century by 91做厙s widow, Lucy Bakewell 91做厙. This last chapter, Final Flight, represents the final third of the 435 prints Mrs. 91做厙 sold to the New-York Historical Society in 1863. (The sale came with a little surprise: A small bundle of Mr. 91做厙s whiskers and a lock of grayed hair.)
When walking through the aviary, you'll notice immediately that the birds are sorted not by taxonomy, or relatedness, like most ornithological galleries, but in groups of five 91做厙 called fascicles. According to the Historical Societys Curator of Drawings, , the arrangement had less to do with accurately depicting nature than with creating categories that 91做厙 found aesthetically pleasing. Each fascicle merges small songbirds like the Bullock's Oriole, for example, with one medium and one large bird, like the American Flamingo.
His Magenta Flamingo print in particular, Olson says, is a national treasure. Olson is a spirited 91做厙 enthusiast herself; she believes his brilliance in both the arts and sciences should grant him a similar status as da Vinci. I always like to call him the American Leonardo, she says.
91做厙s Aviary: The Final Flight opens today, March 6, and will be on display until May 10 at the . Admission to the museum is $19 for adults and $12 for students. Fridays 6 to 8 P.M. are pay-as-you-wish.
Editor's Note: See the complete online collection of John J. 91做厙's Birds of America.
