Snow Goose
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
1945.8.381
Art Historical Context
Behold the majestic *Snow Goose* (1837), a stunning hand-colored engraving and aquint by Robert Havell faithfully reproducing John James Audubon's original watercolor from his groundbreaking *Birds of America*. Published as part of this monumental double-elephant folio series1827–1838), the print captures the bird in dynamic flight against a vast natural backdrop, showcasing Audubon's revolutionary approach to ornithological art. As a French-American naturalist and artist, Audubon depicted birds life-size and in their habitats, blending scientific precision with artistic drama to elevate wildl...
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...