Dusky Duck
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
1945.8.302
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Dusky Duck* (1836), a stunning print by engraver Robert Havell after legendary naturalist-artist John James Audubon This work hails from Audubon's monumental *The Birds of America*, one of the most ambitious publishing projects of the 19th century lavish elephant folio featuring life-sized depictions of over 400 North American bird species. Published between 1827 and 1838, it captured the Romantic era's fascination with the wild beauty of the American wilderness, blending scientific precision with artistic drama. Crafted as a hand-colored engraving and aquatint on fine Whatman wov...
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...