Black-winged Hawk

Art Historical Context

Behold the majestic *Black-winged Hawk* (1837), a stunning hand-colored engraving and aquint by Robert Havell John James Audubon, housed in the National Gallery of Art. print is a gem from Audubon's epic *The Birds of America*, a 19th-century publication that revolutionized natural history illustration with its life-sized depictions of over 400 North American bird species. Audubon, a self-taught artist and ornithologist, drew his subjects from meticulous field observations, capturing them in dynamic, naturalistic poses amid their habitats—a departure from the stiff, static bird art of the era. Havell's masterful technique shines here: engraving provided precise lines for feathers and details, while aquatint added soft, tonal gradations for lifelike shading. Printed on fine Whatman wove paper and meticulously hand-colored by a team of artisans, each plate achieved vibrant realism that blurred the line between science and fine art. This double-elephant folio series, produced in London from 1827 to 1838, was a technical marvel and commercial triumph, with only 200 complete sets surviving today. Generously gifted by Mrs. Walter B. James, this work exemplifies Romanticism's embrace of nature's wild beauty, inspiring generations of conservationists and artists. Visitors, imagine Audubon's passion leaping from the page— a timeless tribute to America's avian wonders!

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...