American Water Ouzel
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
1945.8.370
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Behold the *American Water Ouzel (1837), a print from John James Audubon's monumental *The Birds of America*. Created by master engraver Robert Havell after Audubon's original watercolor, this work captures the elusive dipper bird—known for its daring dives into rushing streams—in vivid, life-sized detail. Audubon's project (1827–1838) revolutionized natural history illustration by depicting birds in dynamic, naturalistic poses amid their habitats, blending art with emerging scientific precision during America's early 19th-century exploration era. Printed as a hand-colored engraving and aquat...
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...