Pied Duck

Artist John James Audubon (American, 1785 - 1851)

Lithographer John T. Bowen (American, 1801 - 1856)

Datec. 1839

Mediumlithograph on white wove paper, hand-colored

DimensionsOctavo: 10 3/4 × 6 15/16 inches (27.3 × 17.6 cm)

Credit LineBequest of H.J. Lutcher Stark, 1965

Object number11.1.7.174

ClassificationsPrints

Label TextThis duck is the first bird to become extinct in North America after 1500. Labrador Duck is usually the common name for this duck, although Pied Duck is also used. This duck was rare in John James Audubon’s day. He lamented that he did not see any when he visited Labrador. He reported that his son, John Woodhouse Audubon, saw deserted nests of the bird. John James Audubon drew the Labrador Duck from specimens supplied by Daniel Webster, the political leader. The last known sighting of a Labrador Duck was in 1878.

ProvenancePurchased September 11, 1957 through (Nada Kramar, Washington, D.C.) by H.J. Lutcher Stark [1887-1965]; bequeathed September 2, 1965 to the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation; accessioned to the Stark Museum of Art

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