Brief Biography-John James Audubon was from Les Cayes, Santo Domingo, in Haiti. He was a naturalist, ornithologist, and painter. In 1827, Audubon published his study Birds of America, which became a considerable success. In addition, he was an eminent illustrator and wrote several books on birds.
He spent his early years in Nantes, France and at the age of eighteen, his father sent him to America to avoid the Napoleonic wars. He changed his name from Jean Jacques to John James in America. He stayed on a farm his father had bought him in Pennsylvania. There he spent his time exploring the local birdlife. After several failed business ventures, he earned a living doing short portraits and eventually took painting lessons from Thomas Cole. His wife Lucy mainly supported them at this stage, teaching children. Finally, in 1826, he had trouble publishing his work in Philadelphia and left for England.
Nevertheless, he successfully published Birds of America in London. When he returned to America a few years later, he became a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1851, he died in his home in Manhattan, where his son John Woodhouse took over completing his works.