Small Green-Crested Flycatcher
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
1945.8.144
Art Historical Context
Behold the vibrant *Small Green-Crested Flycatcher*, a exquisite print from John James Audubon's legendary *The Birds of America* (1827–1838), rendered in 1832 by master engraver Robert Havell. Audubon, a pioneering American ornithologist and artist, revolutionized natural history illustration by depicting birds life-size in dynamic, naturalistic poses amid their habitats—far from the stiff, scientific diagrams of his predecessors. This tropical flycatcher, with its iridescent green crest and poised elegance, captures Audubon's passion for the wild beauty of North and South American avifauna, ...
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...