Yellow-breasted Rail
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
1945.8.329
Art Historical Context
Behold the vibrant *Yellow-breasted Rail*, stunning hand-colored engraving and aquatint from 1836, created by Robert Havell after John James Audubon's original watercolor. This print is part of Audubon's monumental *The Birds of America* (1827–1838), a revolutionary double-elephant folio featuring life-sized depictions of over 400 North American bird species in dramatic, naturalistic poses. Audubon, a self-taught artist and naturalist, transformed ornithological illustration by placing birds in dynamic habitats, blending scientific accuracy with artistic flair. Havell's masterful engraving an...
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...