Tawny Thrush
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
1945.8.164
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Tawny Thrush* (1833), a exquisite hand-colored engraving and aquint by Robert Havell Jr., meticulously rendered after John James Audubon's original watercolor. This print is a gem from Audubon's epic *The Birds of America* (1827–1838), the pioneering natural history publication that revolutionized ornithological illustration with its life-sized depictions of over 400 bird species in dynamic, naturalistic poses drawn from Audubon's fieldwork across America. Havell's mastery of engraving and aquatint techniques shines here, capturing the thrush's subtle feather textures and warm taw...
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...