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Wild Turkey

Give Thanks This Year

As the Whitney staff prepares to celebrate Thanksgiving, we would like to share an extraordinary print illustrating the centerpiece of this holiday, the turkey. Enjoy the print, engage in conversation, and be thankful.

Wild Turkey
Great American Cock, Male (Wild Turkey), drawn 1825, printed 1826, hand-colored engraving on paper. 7.86

John James Audubon was born in 1785. He became one of the finest artists and naturalists of the world during his lifetime. He was an avid hunter, yet understood the concerns for conservation. He earned his reputation with the large folio-sized publication, Birds of America, a collection consisting of 435 life-size prints. Audubon set off on his quest to depict America’s birds in the early 1820s. This hand-colored engraving on paper, Great American Cock, Male (Wild Turkey) was drawn in 1825. This print was the first in Audubon’s publication, giving it great importance.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Written By

Nicole Todd avatar

Nicole Todd

Nicole Todd was formerly the Curatorial Assistant for the Whitney Western Art Museum. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma, with bachelor’s degrees in Zoology and Art History, and a master’s degree in Art History, with a focus on western American art and a specialization in Will James’s art. As Curatorial Assistant, Nicole engaged in art historical research, supported educational programming, answered public inquiries, and contributed to the Whitney’s online presence.

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