51cg

Measuring 39.5 inches tall by 28.5 inches wide, John James Audubon’s Birds of America is one of the largest books ever printed. It owes its size principally to Audubon’s insistence on painting every bird in its actual life size. Why did he go to such lengths to do so? And were his paintings really pictures of birds or the birds themselves, merely transposed to another medium? What does putting birds in a book tell us about the relation between the natural world and the printed page?

This event is part of a programme of events supporting the 'Walking with Birds' exhibition in The Gallery.

Hosted by the 51cg Museums and Special Collections.