Bohemian Chatterer
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
1945.8.363
Art Historical Context
Behold the vibrant *Bohemian Chatterer (1837), a hand-colored engraving and aquint by Robert Havell faithfully reproducing John James Audubon's masterful watercolor. Part of Audubon's epic *The Birds of America*—one of the most ambitious natural history projects of the 19th century—this print captures the Bohemian Waxwing, a striking bird with sleek black cap, yellow tail tip, and crimson wax-like wing markings. Audubon's revolutionary style posed birds in dynamic, lifelike scenes amid their natural habitats, blending scientific accuracy with artistic drama to educate and enchant audiences. H...
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...