American Green-Winged Teal

Art Historical Context

Behold the vibrant *American Green-Winged Te* (1834), a stunning hand-colored engraving and aquint by Robert Havell faithfully reproducing John James Audubon's watercolor. This print hails from Audubon's monumental *The Birds of America*, one of the most ambitious natural history projects of the 19th century. Published between 1827 and 1838 in the lavish "double-elephant" format, the series captured over 400 North American bird species in life-sized, dynamic poses amid their natural habitats, revolutionizing wildlife illustration with its scientific precision and artistic drama. Havell's masterful aquatint technique—layered with fine etching—produced subtle tonal gradients mimicking feathers' iridescence, while skilled colorists hand-applied washes on high-quality Whatman wove paper for lifelike vibrancy. The plate measures 31.1 x 49.2 cm, but the full sheet (66.8 x 99.9 cm) underscores its grandeur, designed for elite collectors. Audubon's Romantic style blended empirical observation with expressive energy, elevating ornithology into fine art. Today, housed in the National Gallery of Art as a gift from Mrs. Walter B. James, this teal—depicting the drake's emerald wing speculum amid a marshy scene—celebrates America's wild heritage and the era's passion for exploration and documentation. A testament to collaboration between artist and engraver, it invites visitors to marvel at nature's artistry preserved in ink and pigment.

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...