Cayenne Tern
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
1945.8.273
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Cayenne Tern* (1835), a stunning hand-colored engraving and aquatint by Robertell, faithfully reproducing John James Audubon's original watercolor. This print hails from Audubon's groundbreaking *Birds of America* (1827–1838), a monumental series of 435 life-sized bird illustrations that captivated 19th-century audiences and revolutionized ornithological art. Audubon, a self-taught artist and naturalist, posed his birds in dynamic, naturalistic scenes—here, the elegant tern perches alertly amid its tropical habitat, evoking the wild coasts of Cayenne (modern-day French Guiana). Ha...
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...