Kittiwake Gull

Art Historical Context

Behold the elegant *Kittiwake Gull* (1834), a stunning hand-colored engraving and aquint by Robert Havell John James Audubon. This print is a gem from Audubon's monumental *The Birds of America*, one of the most ambitious natural history projects of the 19th century. Published in London between 1827 and 1838, the series featured life-sized depictions of over 400 North American bird species, drawn from Audubon's exhaustive fieldwork. The kittiwake, a Arctic gull, is captured mid-flight against a stormy sea, embodying Audubon's revolutionary approach to blending scientific accuracy with dramatic artistry. Havell's masterful technique—combining fine-line engraving for precise details with aquatint for subtle tonal gradations—brought Audubon's watercolor originals to vivid life on Whatman wove paper, a premium British stock prized for its durability and texture. Artisans then hand-applied vibrant colors, ensuring each of the edition's prints glowed with naturalistic plumage and dynamic energy. This method not only preserved Audubon's romantic realism but elevated ornithological illustration into high art, influencing generations of wildlife artists. Today, housed in the National Gallery of Art as a gift from Mrs. Walter B. James, *Kittiwake Gull* invites visitors to marvel at humanity's early quest to document and celebrate the wild beauty of nature. A testament to collaboration across the Atlantic, it reminds us of Audubon's passion for conservation long before it was a rallying cry.

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...