Rose-Breasted Grosbeak

John James Audubon, Joseph Bartholomew Kidd, Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, n.d., oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U. S. National Museum, 1953.3.4
Copied Joseph Bartholomew Kidd, John James Audubon, Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, n.d., oil on canvas, 26 1⁄4 x 20 3⁄4 in. (66.8 x 52.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U. S. National Museum, 1953.3.4
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
Artists
Date
n.d.
Location
Dimensions
26 1⁄4 x 20 3⁄4 in. (66.8 x 52.7 cm)
Credit Line
Transfer from the U. S. National Museum
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — plain
  • Landscape — tree — pine tree
  • Animal — bird — grosbeak
Object Number
1953.3.4
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1953.3.4

Artwork Description

Around 1830, John James Audubon commissioned the Scottish artist Joseph Bartholomew Kidd to copy many of his paintings of birds. Audubon hoped to use these paintings in a natural history gallery that would tour England. The project was never completed, however, in part because Kidd took too long to finish the work. In this painting, Kidd directly copied the four birds on a branch from the original illustration, then added a landscape to the background to create an “embellished” painting for Audubon’s proposed exhibition.