Plate 43. Cedar Bird 

John James Audubon made this print of Cedar Birds as part of his ambitious project to document all the birds of America. The image itself is full of meaning. Audubon’s birds are often shown in active poses, engaged in the everyday dramas of survival. Here, though, the birds are relatively still, perched on a branch. This stillness may suggest the cultural associations of birds as symbols of peace and natural harmony, themes that were important in the Romantic era when this print was made. Audubon was working at a time of increasing interest in natural history, but also increasing environmental change in America. His work reflects this tension, celebrating the beauty of nature, while also implicitly acknowledging its vulnerability. The image is part of a larger story about America’s changing relationship with the natural world. Understanding this print fully requires attention to both its formal qualities and its historical context, involving research into the history of ornithology, environmentalism, and American art.