Long-Tailed Weasel
John James Audubon·c. 1845
Historical Context
This Long-Tailed Weasel from the studio of John James Audubon, painted around 1845, relates to the naturalist's final major project — The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America (1845-1848). Audubon, universally celebrated for his Birds of America, turned to mammals in his later years, working with his sons John Woodhouse and Victor to produce paintings that would be lithographed for the published volumes.
Technical Analysis
The oil on canvas shows the precise naturalistic technique of the Audubon studio, with the weasel depicted in its natural habitat with botanical accuracy. The careful observation of the animal's fur, posture, and expression demonstrates the family's scientific approach to wildlife illustration.
Provenance
Probably John James Audubon [1785-1851]; probably by inheritance to his son, John Woodhouse Audubon [1812-1862], Salem, New York; probably by inheritance to his second wife, Caroline Hall Audubon [1811-1899], Salem, New York; by inheritance to her son, William Bakewell Audubon [1847-1932], Australia;[1] by inheritance to his son, Leonard Benjamin Audubon [1888-1951], Sydney, Australia; sold 1950 to E.J.L. Hallstrom [1886-1970], Sydney, Australia; gift 1951 to NGA. [1] Handwritten in ink on the back of the painting is: "W.B. Audubon." John James Audubon had four children, one of whom was John Woodhouse Audubon [1812-1862]. The younger Audubon married twice; he had two children with his first wife, Maria Bachman [1816-1840], and seven with his second wife, Caroline Hall [1811-1899]. Of the seven, five lived to adulthood; William Bakewell Audubon [1847-1932] was one of the sons. William left the United States for Australia in either 1880 or 1882, and he began a new life raising sheep near Yass, a small town about 250 miles west of Sydney. He married Lucy Ann Grovenor in 1885, and they had two children, Leonard Benjamin and Ella Caroline. According to a letter of 9 July 1952 from Ella Caroline Audubon to John Walker (in NGA curatorial files), Audubon paintings were sent to Australia in 1899 or 1900, which would correspond with the death of Caroline Hall Audubon on 1 February 1899. Miss Audubon's letter states that her father arrived in Australia 8 April 1880. However, Walter Audubon gives 21 January 1882 as the date that William Bakewell Audubon sailed for Australia, and he writes also that it was William who "brought with him many paintings by his grandfather, John James Audubon" (see Walter Audubon, _Last of the Audubon Line: The Descendants of John Woodhouse Audubon_, Franklin, North Carolina, 2002: 72-79).
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