John James Audubon Quotes

32 Sourced Quotes

If I can procure three hundred good substantial names of persons, or bodies, or institutions, I cannot fail to do well for my family, although I must abandon my life to its success, and undergo many sad perplexities and perhaps never see again my own beloved America.

John James Audubon
During all these years there existed within me a tendency to follow Nature in her walks.

John James Audubon
On landing at New York I caught the yellow fever. The kind man who commanded the ship that brought me from France took charge of me and placed me under the care of two Quaker ladies. To their skillful and untiring care I may safely say I owe my life.

John James Audubon
I wish I had eight pairs of hands, and another body to shoot the specimens.

John James Audubon
The worse my drawings were, the more beautiful did the originals appear.

John James Audubon
I took down my portfolio, to select a drawing to copy in oil. He had never seen my works before, and appeared astonished as his eyes ranged over the sheets. He expressed the warmest admiration, and said, "How hopeless must be the task of my giving any instruction to one who can draw like this?" I pointed out to him that nature is the great study for the artist, and assured him that the reason why my works pleased him was because they are all exact copies of the works of God, — who is the great Architect and perfect Artist; and impressed on his mind this fact, that nature indifferently copied is far superior to the best idealities.

John James Audubon
To have been torn from the study would have been as death; my time was entirely occupied with art.

John James Audubon