Fork-tailed Gull
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
1945.8.285
Art Historical Context
Behold the elegant *Fork-tailed Gull* (1835), a stunning hand-colored engraving and aquint by Robert Havell faithfully reproducing John James Audubon's original watercolor. This print is a gem from Audubon's epic *The Birds of America* (1827–1838), a landmark publication that brought life-sized depictions of over 400 North American bird species to an international audience. Audubon's revolutionary approach—posing birds in dynamic, naturalistic scenes amid their habitats—elevated ornithological illustration to high art, blending scientific precision with Romantic flair. Crafted on fine Whatman...
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...