When Audubon Chased the Labrador Falcon Across Two Continents
Labrador Falcon Audubon Bird Print - Plate 196
John James Audubon spent his life pursuing birds that others had only read about in texts. In the 1820s and 1830s, he traveled to remote coasts and wild interiors, gun and sketchbook in hand, determined to capture every species of North American bird at life scale. The Labrador Falcon was one of his prizes: a rare, powerful hunter he observed in the northeastern reaches of the continent, a bird few ornithologists had documented with such precision.
This plate, number 196 from his monumental Birds of America, shows two falcons in characteristic poses. The upper bird folds its wings in contemplative descent; below, its companion spreads wide with beak open, tail fanned in the aggressive display of a hunter at rest. Audubon's hand—working with engraver Robert Havell—rendered every feather, every talon, every subtle shift in plumage tone. The diagonal composition creates tension; these are not docile subjects posed for study, but vital creatures caught in their own drama.
What makes this print historically resonant is its moment. Audubon published Birds of America between 1827 and 1838, when natural history illustration was undergoing a revolution. Hand-colored engravings on imperial folio sheets reached a new level of naturalism and scale. Collectors, naturalists, and wealthy patrons treasured these prints as both scientific documents and works of art. The original warm paper, the visible seam from the folio binding, even the faint foxing that time has brought: these traces remind us that we are looking at a document that has survived nearly two centuries.
Our reproduction honors that survival. We restore Audubon's clarity and color fidelity while preserving the character of the vintage original. You can see the historic paper stock in the warm undertone, the subtle imperfections that prove this is a hand-drawn, hand-colored work from another era.
Paper & Craft
Every Audubon reproduction is printed as a museum-quality giclée print on heavyweight 325gsm archival matte paper using archival inks. The matte surface absorbs light evenly, bringing out the depth of Audubon's color palette without glare. This substrate and printing method ensure your print will hold its fidelity and color for generations.