American Snipe
Medium
hand-colored engraving and aquatint on Whatman wove paper
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Walter B. James
Accession Number
1945.8.243
Art Historical Context
Behold the *American Snipe*, a captivating hand-colored engraving and aquatint on Whatman wove paper, created in 1835 by Robert Havell after John James Audubon. This print is a gem from Audubon's legendary *The Birds of America* (1827–1838), a monumental double-elephant folio series that brought the avian wonders of North America to life in unprecedented detail. Audubon, a pioneering naturalist and artist, sketched birds in dynamic, life-sized poses amid their natural habitats, revolutionizing ornithological illustration with his dramatic compositions and scientific accuracy. Havell's masterf...
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...