Articles de presse

Jean-Jacques Audubon, le portfolio: Art & Métiers du Livre, février/mars 2005
The John James Audubon Portfolio: Mill Grove Audubon, Center Winter 2005
Jean-Jacques Audubon, homme universel: Le Rotarien, juillet 2005; Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4
Un papetier gagné par la folie d'Audubon: Le courrier de l'ouest, octobre 2005
Audubon Portfolio: Revue 303

Jean-Jacques Audubon, le portfolio

Art & Métiers du Livre, février/mars 2005

Voici un très bel exemple de bibliophilie contemporaine où les héritages culturels et les prouesses de la technologie moderne se complètent et s'enrichissent mutuellement. Ce portfolio, conçu par Pascal Jeanjean, papetier belge, réunit une selection de 40 aquarelles originales de Jean-Jacques Audubon, conservées a la New-York Historical Society, accompagnée de 8 dessins de l'enfance de l'artiste, decouverts récemment au Museum d'Histoire Naturelle de la Rochelle. Ces aquarelles originales ont servi a l'illustration, au XIX, siècle, de " Birds of America ", un ouvrage de 435 planches gravées et colorées représentant les oiseaux du continent américain grandeur nature.

[...]

Ce remarquable travail en commun laisse espérer de beaux jours a la bibliophilie d'aujourd'hui et de demain.

Stéphanie Durand

Retour en haut de page

The John James Audubon Portfolio

Mill Grove Audubon, Center Winter 2005

Inspiration is usually followed by a monumental task. Pascal Jeanjean, a French author, has just completed an astounding project entitled The John James Audubon Portfolio a compellation of Audubon's original drawings and watercolors; many of which would later become part of The Birds of America Double Elephant Folio. Until recently, Audubon's name was relatively unknown in France, when some of his original watercolors were discovered in La Rochelle. One of the major reasons for this was that the French considered him an American having come to this country at such a young age.

Pascal Jeanjean was inspired to design this portfolio because, as he stated, "Audubon was not just a simple adventurer who went to America to fulfill his passion; he was a more complex character who really took a place in American history." Books intrigued Pascal; not just the philosophy and science within them, but with the way in which they were crafted. His passion led him to open a business in hand paper making, which allowed him to develop intimate relationships with the Museé Rodin, The Victoria and Albert Museum and many more museums throughout Europe. Pascal was soon recognized as an expert in the production of alpha, Holland, China and Japan papers. All of Pascal Jeanjean's experiences and talents were ultimately leading him to publish his own work of art, The John James Audubon Portfolio.

In publishing this work Pascal Jeanjean kept asking himself, "what would Audubon have done when publishing his Birds of America, if he were living today?" He stated, "therefore my task was to honor his memory and his book by trying to render as best as possible with the latest technologies the sensibility of his pencil and brush." The book has been released according to the traditional form of the modern bibliophily. The portfolio, which is printed in English, is composed of 244 pages with full-page illustrations in a limited edition of 2500 copies.

Jeanjean recently made a visit to Mill Grove Audubon Center, John Audubon's first home in America. "Pascal arrived as though he were Audubon himself," said Mitch Harper, the Art and Exhibit Specialist at Mill Grove, "walking down the lane to the house with a sense of great expectation of what lay before him, but also somewhat ill with a fever, much like Audubon's first arrival at Mill Grove." Alan Gehret, the Museum Coordinator, was astounded when shown this phenomenal compellation of Audubon's correspondence and early watercolors. "I was impressed by the quality and of the uniqueness of the publication," says Gehret. "It is totally different from any publication to date concerning the works of Audubon. It is the first time that these newly rediscovered early works have been published; where the public is able see the raw talent of the young artist."

Arriving too late to enjoy the 175-acre estate, Pascal Jeanjean was invited to return the following day to experience exactly what had inspired Audubon himself. He toured the estate and was shown the location of Fatland Ford where a reconstructed Bakewell Estate stands, Audubon's young bride's family home, currently a private residence. Pascal even enjoyed seeing, and assisting with the methodology that Audubon himself used to prepare study skins.

This rare and unique endeavor has earned Pascal Jeanjean the highest praise from both the artistic and historical communities. He said that his struggles and enlightenments during this endeavor need to be published into a book themselves. Only this time it would be published in French!

Antonia Nocero

Retour en haut de page