American Robin
Medium
hand-colored engraving and aquatint on Whatman wove paper
Dimensions
plate: 96 x 63.3 cm (37 13/16 x 24 15/16 in.) sheet: 99.6 x 66.5 cm (39 3/16 x 26 3/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Walter B. James
Accession Number
1945.8.131
Art Historical Context
Behold the vibrant *American Robin*, a stunning plate from John James Audub monumental *Birds of America (1827–1838), masterfully engraved and printed by Robert Havell in 1832. Audubon, a pioneering naturalist and artist, sought to capture North American birds life-size in dynamic, naturalistic poses amid their habitats—a revolutionary departure from static scientific illustrations. This double-elephant folio printnearly 100 cm tall) exemplifies his passion for accuracy and beauty, drawing from his exhaustive fieldwork across the continent. Crafted as a hand-colored engraving and aquatint on ...
About the Artist
Robert Havell after John James Audubon
Robert Havell Jr., born on November 25, 1793, in Reading, Berkshire, England, was the son of renowned engraver and publisher Robert Havell Sr. and Lydia Miller Phillips. Growing up in a family of artists that included notable engravers and etchers, he trained under his father, mastering aquatint techniques early on. Though briefly estranged from the family business, Havell reconciled with his fath...