White Heron
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
1945.8.386
Art Historical Context
Behold the elegant *White Heron* (1837), a stunning hand-colored engraving and aquint by Robert Havell., faithfully reproducing John James Audubon's original from his monumental *The Birds of America*. This print, Plate 231 from the double-elephant folio edition, captures the great egret in a poised, life-size stance amid Louisiana's lush wetlands, showcasing Audubon's revolutionary approach to ornithological art. Published during the 0s, the series documented over 400 North American bird species with unprecedented accuracy and drama, blending scientific precision with romantic naturalism to 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...