Horned Grebe
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
1945.8.259
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Horned Grebe*, a stunning hand-colored engraving and aquatint on Whatman wove paper 1835, created Robert Havell after John Audubon. This print a gem from Audubon's epic *Birds of America (1827–1838), the largest and most ambitious bird illustration project in history, featuring life-sized depictions of over 400 North American species in dynamic, naturalistic poses. Audubon, a self-taught artist and naturalist, revolutionizedological art by portraying birds not as stiff specimens but as lively creatures amid their habitats, blending scientific precision with artistic flair. Havell'...
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...