John James Audubon (1785–1851) was a French-American naturalist, explorer and painter, best remembered for The Birds of America, a monumental collection of 435 life-size, hand-coloured illustrations of North American birds.

Combining rigorous field observation with dramatic, dynamic composition, Audubon set a new standard for ornithological art. His plates remain landmarks of natural-history illustration, prized as much for their scientific ambition as for their enduring beauty.