Californian Partridge, c. 1838 by John James Audubon

Californian Partridge, by John James Audubon depicts a pair of California quail foraging and standing watch on a sunlit hillside, their curling black head plumes and richly patterned plumage rendered in exacting detail against a hazy western landscape. John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851) painted the plate for his monumental The Birds of America, the culmination of a career spent documenting the full range of North American bird life in the field.

Artist: John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851). Date: 1838.

Californian Partridge. Hand-Colored Engraving Reproduction Canvas Print.