Audubon’s Morning Dove Carolina Pigeon Painting Napkin

The Turtle Dove, also known as the Mourning Dove, was referred to as the Carolina Pigeon by John James Audubon in his early 19th-century masterpiece, The Birds of America. This famous colour-plate book, published between 1827 and 1839, showcases Audubon's extensive studies of American birds, captured in their natural environments. The illustration of the Carolina Pigeon (Plate 26) portrays the peaceful mourning doves resting amidst an old rose bush, its white flowers providing a striking backdrop. Audubon’s meticulous attention to detail in capturing the doves in such a serene setting highlights his skill in illustrating both the birds' grace and their surrounding habitat. The beauty and authenticity of Audubon’s works have solidified them as some of the finest ornithological illustrations ever created.