Long-tailed 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
1945.8.312
Art Historical Context
Behold the vibrant "Long-tailed Duck," a hand-colored engraving and aquatint on Whatman wove paper created in 1836 by Robert Havell after John James Audubon. This print is a gem from Audubon's legendary *The Birds of America* (1827–1838), the monumental double-elephant-folio publication that revolutionized natural history illustration. Audubon, a pioneering American ornithologist and artist, depicted birds life-size in dynamic, naturalistic poses amid their habitats, blending scientific precision with artistic flair. Havell's masterful engraving captured Audubon's watercolor originals, transfo...
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...