Past Exhibition

Audubon Paintings and Prints from the Collection of the National Gallery of Art

Two rabbits, one white and one gray, lie on a grassy hill in this horizontal painting on paper. On our left, the white rabbit rests so its front paws face us, and it looks slightly off to our left. To our right, the gray rabbit takes up most of the picture with its head near the white rabbit and its tail nearly touching the right edge of the paper. Tiny pen and graphite strokes make up the individual hairs of the rabbits' fur and whiskers. The ground close to us is olive and earth green. Mountains are frosty teal-green in the distance under lavender-gray clouds streaking up and to our left against a blue sky. Two birds fly in the deep distance. Tiny writing in black ink in the top left corner spells "Leach" in the top left corner. A number 1 appears next to the gray rabbit’s head and a number 2 next to the white.
John James Audubon, Arctic Hare, c. 1841, pen and black ink and graphite with watercolor and oil paint on paper, Gift of E.J.L. Hallstrom, 1951.9.10

Details

  • Dates

    -

  • Locations

    Ground Floor, Central Gallery
Two rabbits, one white and one gray, lie on a grassy hill in this horizontal painting on paper. On our left, the white rabbit rests so its front paws face us, and it looks slightly off to our left. To our right, the gray rabbit takes up most of the picture with its head near the white rabbit and its tail nearly touching the right edge of the paper. Tiny pen and graphite strokes make up the individual hairs of the rabbits' fur and whiskers. The ground close to us is olive and earth green. Mountains are frosty teal-green in the distance under lavender-gray clouds streaking up and to our left against a blue sky. Two birds fly in the deep distance. Tiny writing in black ink in the top left corner spells "Leach" in the top left corner. A number 1 appears next to the gray rabbit’s head and a number 2 next to the white.
John James Audubon, Arctic Hare, c. 1841, pen and black ink and graphite with watercolor and oil paint on paper, Gift of E.J.L. Hallstrom, 1951.9.10

Overview: This special exhibition included 50 plates from the double-elephant folio of The Birds of America given to the Gallery by Mrs. Walter B. James; a portrait of Audubon by his son, John Woodhouse Audubon; 9 other paintings; and a watercolor. The latter works had remained in the Audubon family until 1950, when they were bought from the great-great-grandchildren of the naturalist by E.J.L. Hallstrom of Australia. These 10 pictures were presented at the White House on July 19 to President Harry Truman for the American people. The exhibition was conceived to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of the artist (1785-1851).

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