Manks Shearwater
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
1945.8.295
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Manks Shearwater*, a stunning hand-colored engraving and aquatint by Robert Havell, faithfully reproducing John James Audubon's meticulous watercolor from 1836. This print a gem from Audubon's monumental *Birds of America* (1827–1838), the most ambitious ornithological project of its time. Audubon, a pioneering naturalist and artist, captured birds in life-sized, dynamic poses amid their natural habitats, revolutionizing scientific illustration by blending artistic flair with empirical observation. Here, the shearwater—a seabird known for its long migrations across the Atlantic—soa...
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...