John James Audubon and The Birds of America (Best of OLLI)
John James Audubon was a French-American artist and naturalist who, starting in the 1820s, set out to document every bird in the U.S. The result was his masterwork The Birds of America, a collection of 435 hand-painted bird prints, considered by many to be the finest book ever published. In this course, you’ll learn about Audubon’s early life and his artistic methods. We’ll also take a deep dive into the prints themselves. We will end by considering Audubon’s legacy. This course is part of a long-term ongoing investigation of nature through the consilience of art and science.
Faculty Bio
Eric J. Simon, Ph.D. has been a professor of Biology for over 25 years. An avid traveler and award-winning photographer, Eric leads educational international trips for both undergraduates and lifelong learners. Prof. Simon earned his Ph.D. at Harvard and is the author of a widely used series of college biology textbooks used by students in over 40 countries.
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Member Praise for Eric Simon
Very engaging instructor who clearly loved his topic and was very knowledgeable. His enthusiasm was contagious. Very receptive to questions - would start each class by answering questions he'd received and researched.
Thoroughly engaging presentations which were organized, lively and moved at a good pace. I appreciated Professor Simon's enthusiasm, clarity and sense of humor.