John Woodhouse Audubon

Born on November 30, 1812, in Henderson, Kentucky, John Woodhouse Audubon was the second son of naturalist and artist John James Audubon and Lucy Bakewell Audubon. From an early age he was drawn into his father’s world of observation, drawing, and fieldwork, and he developed into a skilled painter in his own right.

Much of his career was closely tied to the Audubon family’s artistic projects. He assisted with his father’s work and became known especially for paintings of wildlife, while also producing portraits and scenes connected with westward migration. His life and art reflect the mix of science, travel, and image-making that shaped American natural history in the nineteenth century.

John Woodhouse Audubon died on February 21, 1862, in New York. Though often remembered in the shadow of his father, he played an important role in preserving and extending the Audubon artistic legacy, and his paintings remain a valuable part of that story.