Audubon's Aviary: The Original Watercolors for The Birds of America ( John James Audubon /A's Innovations and the Traditions of Ornithological Illustration; Drawing Birds; Highlights; Chronology of A's Life; etc)

New York, NY: N.Y. / New York: New York Historical Society Museum & Library / Skira Rizzoli, 2012, 1st edition, First Printing, 2012. ----------hardcover, a Near Fine example, a bit of rubbing to bottom edge of boards, a few small marks on the edges of the text block, in a Very Good+ dustjacket, a bit of rubbing/flaking at tips, short closed tear on lower edge of rear panel, a VERY faint dampstain on the lower edge of the verso of the jacket, 448 pages, colour illustrations throughout, ---"A national treasure is celebrated in this landmark publication. The Birds of America is a monumental classic, but it has never been explored like this before. This important new volume presents all the dazzling watercolors that Audubon painted for these monumental engravings. We are familiar with the prints engraved by Robert Havell Jr., but Audubon’s Aviary illuminates the original masterpieces that were created by Audubon himself and tells the story behind their creation with fresh insights and engaging quotes from his writings. These powerful paintings -all newly photographed using state-of-the-art techniques -possess a startling immediacy, vibrancy, and fluidity that link natural history, art, and a respect for the environment. These watercolors transmit Audubon’s devotion to his craft with their inscriptions and layers of media wrought with a miniaturist’s attention to detail and their revolutionary compositions, which for the first time in history depicted all the birds life-size. Audubon is considered America’s first great watercolorist, introducing innovative approaches developed over a lifetime of study. Even judged alongside today’s technology, his dramatic tableaux remain some of the most spectacular natural history documents and visually arresting works of art ever produced"---, any image directly beside this listing is the actual book and not a generic photo /// NOT SIGNED ---GUARANTEED to be AVAILABLE/// ---size is approximate ( generally within 1/8 inch)--- extra shipping might be required depending upon destination ---if an issue, please inquire before ordering ---. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine (see desciption)/Very Good+ (see description). Illus. by John James Audubon. 11w x 13.25h Inches. Flap Not Clipped.