Grizzly Bear (Ursus ferox) by John Woodhouse Audubon, 1845

Ursus ferox, Grizzly Bear. Males. by John Woodhouse Audubon is a quintessential Victorian zoological illustration from 1845, created at the height of 19th‑century naturalism. The son of the famed John James Audubon, John Woodhouse brought a painter’s sensitivity to anatomy and movement, rendering North American wildlife with scientific care and dramatic presence. Here, male grizzly bears are studied with a field naturalist’s eye—robust, sinewy, and alert—captured in a landscape setting that situates the species within its rugged habitat and the era’s spirited project of cataloging the continent’s fauna.

This listing offers a museum-quality fine art print of the original illustration, expertly produced on your choice of acid-free archival paper or artist’s cotton canvas. Prints are available in a range of sizes, with optional framing to suit traditional or contemporary interiors. The Unique Maps Co. can also personalize the piece with custom sizing, matting, and inscription options—perfect for creating a heirloom-quality statement tailored to your space.

John Woodhouse Audubon (1812–1862) was a vital contributor to the celebrated 19th‑century enterprise of American natural history art, working closely with his father on The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America. His reputation rests on the rare balance he achieved between rigor and expressiveness: measured proportions, convincing musculature, and nuanced fur textures paired with a painterly sense of light and drama. In this plate, his attentive draftsmanship places the viewer eye-to-eye with the grizzly, a subject he rendered with respect, immediacy, and a keen awareness of the animal’s character.

The subject itself—historically labeled Ursus ferox, commonly known as the grizzly bear—speaks to a pivotal moment when artists and naturalists sought to document North American species for science as well as for an expanding public audience. Although the title sometimes carries an earlier date, the image belongs squarely to the mid-1840s wave of publishing that made wildlife imagery widely accessible. The work bridges scientific illustration and art, offering both accurate morphology and a sense of narrative tension that made these volumes so compelling.

Color and composition heighten the print’s impact. A warm, earthy palette—deep browns and russets edged with orange highlights—animates the bears’ dense coats, while notes of red in the ground and sky lend theatrical intensity without sacrificing realism. Fine, short strokes articulate guard hairs and underfur; broader, softer passages shape the background vegetation in muted greens, keeping attention on the animals. The rounded, powerful forms of the bears curve through the scene in a dynamic yet grounded arrangement, making this an arresting focal point for a study, library, cabin, or nature-inspired interior.

A timeless gift for wildlife lovers and art enthusiasts alike, this print is ideal for Christmas, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays, housewarmings, or welcoming home a traveler returning from America’s great parks and mountain landscapes. It brings the spirit of 19th‑century exploration—and the enduring majesty of the grizzly—gracefully into any room.

If you're not sure what size to order, or you're looking for a custom order of some kind – a different size, a different colour, a special frame – then please contact me. I usually respond within a few minutes.

You can see an example of my fine art personalisation service in the fifth image. Zoom in and take a look. My personalised artwork is always very well received. Take a look at more examples of personalisation.

You can also choose to age your art print to make it look older. This is popular amongst my customers who want their artwork to look like an older, antique print. You can see an example of ageing in the sixth product image, or go ahead and check out lots of examples of other aged artwork.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this art print.

I can print and frame this beautiful piece of art at sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). If you are looking for a size or framing option that isn't available online, please get in touch.

This artwork is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. My standard frames come in six colours (black, dark brown, dark grey, antique gold, oak and white), and custom framing is available for an additional charge. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.