Covington in Kenton County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
John James Audubon
Photographed By Rev. Ronald Irick, October 12, 2014
1. John James Audubon Marker
close up of text
“Nature must be seen first alive, and well studied,
before attempts are made at representing her.”
Best known as a painter of birds and most notably for his series called the Birds of America. Audubon came to the northern Kentucky area in 1819, and made many drawings near this place. it was the force of circumstances prior to and during his stay in the Cincinnati- Kentucky area which converted him from an amateur to professional artist. He left Cincinnati in October of 1829 and embarked on his mammoth project to record the birds of North America which was first published in 1826. While in Cincinnati Audubon worked for a time at the Western Museum, which became the Cincinnati Natural History Museum. He frequently made drawings of local birds such as the Cliff Swallow which appears in the folio Birds of America.
This sculpture made possible by:
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Goering, - the R. A. Jones Company
Sculptors: Studio Eis Elliot and Ivan Schwartz
Erected 1988 by An Official Project of - - The Greater Cincinnati
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Environment. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1829.
Location. 39° 5.492′ N, 84° 30.246′ W. Marker is in Covington, Kentucky, in Kenton County. Marker is on Shelby near Riverside Dr., on the right when traveling north. Riverside Dr. at Shelby, marker is on the "River Walk" at the confluence of the Licking and Ohio Rivers on right, when traveling north on Shelby, from the end of East 2nd Str. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 420 Riverside Dr, Covington KY 41011, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Chief Little Turtle (a few steps from this marker); James Bradley (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Carneal House, ca. 1815 (about 500 feet away); Cincinnati Skyline Pre-1865 (about 500 feet away); Defending the Valley (about 500 feet away); The Civil War in Northern Kentucky (about 600 feet away); Flood Walls (about 600 feet away); A New Perspective: 1865-1900 (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Covington.
Photographed By Rev. Ronald Irick, October 12, 2014
2. John James Audubon Marker
full view
Photographed By Rev. Ronald Irick, October 12, 2014
3. John James Audubon Site
marker plaque and statue
Photographed By Rev. Ronald Irick, October 12, 2014
4. John James Audubon Statue
on the River Walk in Covington,Kentucky
Photographed By Rev. Ronald Irick, October 12, 2014
5. River Walk logo
in brick pavement near the statue
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, February 16, 2015
6. John James Audubon
This self portrait hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC
“Naturalist John James Audubon painted this self portrait when he was thirty-seven. Until that time his drawings of birds had been a hobby while he worked as an import merchant and later as a mill operator in Kentucky. As the idea for a publication called The Birds of America took form, he traveled to Louisiana and began to create large watercolors of birds in their natural settings. In Natchez, in 1822 an itinerant portrait painter named John Steen gave Audubon some lessons in oil painting, and this self-portrait was a result. The precision of the features is similar to the portrait drawings Audubon made in Louisville a few years earlier. Audubon went to England in 1826; the first engravings for Birds of America were created that year.The full set of ‘elehant folio’ volumes was completed in 1838.“ — National Portrait Gallery
“Naturalist John James Audubon painted this self portrait when he was thirty-seven. Until that time his drawings of birds had been a hobby while he worked as an import merchant and later as a mill operator in Kentucky. As the idea for a publication called The Birds of America took form, he traveled to Louisiana and began to create large watercolors of birds in their natural settings. In Natchez, in 1822 an itinerant portrait painter named John Steen gave Audubon some lessons in oil painting, and this self-portrait was a result. The precision of the features is similar to the portrait drawings Audubon made in Louisville a few years earlier. Audubon went to England in 1826; the first engravings for Birds of America were created that year.The full set of ‘elehant folio’ volumes was completed in 1838.“ — National Portrait Gallery
Credits. This page was last revised on January 5, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 21, 2014, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. This page has been viewed 809 times since then and 135 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 21, 2014, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. 6. submitted on March 26, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Al Wolf was the editor who published this page.
