Private Passions: The Art of Collecting

Hooping Crane by Mark Catesby from The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, 1731

What motivates an art collector? This exhibition explores some remarkable collections of art inspired by nature—and the stories of the people who brought them together.

Gathered here are artworks collected by 14 individuals, as well as a local fishing club. Some of these are now part of Mass Audubon’s collection, while others are still privately held. The collectors have diverse motivations and backgrounds: artist, duck hunter, art historian, birder, author, fisherman, conservationist, and more. In Private Passions, they generously share some of the objects of their fascination.

Frog by Leonard Baskin from A Little Book of Natural History, linoleum cut, 1951

Artworks on view will include an 18th century etching by Mark Catesby, a legendary Canada Goose decoy by Charles Safford, miniature loons and seals by two Inuit master carvers, and watercolors by the leading contemporary European wildlife artists.