A MONA Moment For Nebraskans
and visitors from around the world, those who in early spring wait patiently
at dusk along the Platte River for Sandhills Cranes, ascending by the thousands
from the surrounding fields in magnificent formations along the river, the Sandhills
Crane exercises a unique and unparalleled power over the imagination. This is
one of the great wildlife migrations in the world.
It is for this
reason I am delighted to announce a major acquisition for MONA: an original,
John J. Audubon, Havell edition, double elephant size engraving of the Sandhill
Crane (mistakenly identified by Audubon as a young Whooping Crane).
John J. Audubon's
Birds of America is one of the unsurpassed achievements of American Art. These
individually, hand painted aquatint engravings were produced between 1827 and
1839, in portfolios of 435 individual birds. Audubon sold 175 subscriptions
to Birds of America, each of which commanded the princely sum of $1,000-the
cost of a substantial home at the time. The edition was published on sheets
measuring 26 inches by 39 inches, called double elephant by the printing trade.
The resulting engravings, depicting each subject in its actual size, are among
the largest ever made.
In the more than
150 years since they were first printed by the renowned London engraver Robert
Havell, few of the sets have been broken or made available for sale. Currently
it is estimated that less than 100 sets of the original edition are known to
be in existence in the United States today. Now, one of the original Sandhill
Crane engravings from one of these extremely rare editions is in MONA's collection
for current and future generations of Nebraskans to enjoy. When one considers
that the Museum of Nebraska Art is located in the heart of this great Crane
migration, if there is any museum in the world that should have one of these
great works, it is MONA
The colors of our
Sandhills Crane are rich, concentrated in their intensity, and utterly penetrating
in their impact on the eye. The large size of the engravings-26 by 39 inches--was
by design. Audubon insisted that each bird be depicted life size. The result
of this large size, especially in the case of the larger birds like the Sandhills
Crane, was a palpable sense of majesty. As I stand before it and seek meaning
in this great print in our gallery, the response is some hybrid feeling levitating
between reverence, and affection. A delicious feeling. The kind of unique evocation
for which I am eternally grateful for art.
Our Sandhills Crane
cuts a very dignified figure He is perched on a scraggly, grassy knoll in the
foreground. His neck is craned to the left, providing his head in profile with
its distinctive red crown and long, pincers like beak. Audubon captures an interesting
and salient characteristic of its appearance: the sleek, streamline of the neck,
head and beak-subtly enhanced by a Robin's egg Blue background sky as pale as
breath. The claws of the feet are formidable-long and sharp, ideal for digging
and foraging. Audubon has lit the bird from the side, its upper back in the
shadow of the neck, with the main body of its dusky, brown plumage lit to enhance
the graceful patterns of its plumage. There is a heart of light in the mid-portion
of the torso, which especially highlights the smaller, more delicate feathers
of this central portion of the bird. The attitude, the posture of the crane
is wary and alert.
In the background
is a landscape of Sand hills. My heart leaped when I saw this, of course, associating
theme with the Nebraska Sandhills. Alas, the sandhills depicted are probably
in Georgia, Florida or Texas-locations where Audubon observed large concentrations
of them during their autumn migrations north. Nonetheless, as far as I am concerned,
these Sandhills are Nebraska Sandhills.
A Legendary work Arrives: A Sandhills Crane by John James Audubon
By Ron Roth
Director
Museum of Nebraska Art
