Louisiana Tanager and Scarlet Tanager
Medium
hand-colored engraving and aquatint on Whatman wove paper
Dimensions
plate: 49.9 x 31.8 cm (19 5/8 x 12 1/2 in.) sheet: 100 x 67.3 cm (39 3/8 x 26 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Walter B. James
Accession Number
1945.8.354
Art Historical Context
Behold the vibrant *Louisiana Tanager and Tanager* (1837), a stunning print from John James Audubon's monumentalThe Birds of America*. Created by master engraver Robert Havell Audubon's original watercolor, this work captures two striking North American songbirds in dynamic, life-sized poses amid lush foliage. Audubon's ambitious four-volume project (1827–1838), with 435 plates like this one, revolutionized natural history illustration by blending scientific precision with artistic drama, making birds appear alive and leaping off the page. Printed as a hand-colored engraving and aquatint on f...
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...