Artwork
Belted Kingsfisher
Belted Kingsfisher is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Robert Havell Jr.. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1830, the print titled *Belted Kingfisher* combines hand‑applied colour with aquatint on a sheet of Whatman wove paper.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1830, the print titled *Belted Kingfisher* combines hand‑applied colour with aquatint on a sheet of Whatman wove paper. The image presents two kingfishers—one soaring above a riverine landscape and another resting on a low stump—rendered in a palette of blues, whites, browns and blacks that suggest atmospheric depth.
Subject & Meaning
The composition juxtaposes the dynamic flight of a blue‑toned kingfisher against the stillness of a second bird perched below. The river, trees and distant mountains frame the scene, evoking a natural habitat where movement and repose coexist, highlighting the bird’s elegance and the surrounding environment’s tranquility.
Technique & Style
The work employs a hand‑coloured engraving complemented by aquatint, a method the Havell family refined for tonal variation. The aquatint provides subtle gradations of colour and shadow, while the hand‑applied pigments accentuate the vivid blue of the soaring bird’s plumage and the delicate play of light on its wings.
History & Provenance
Robert Havell Jr., part of an English lineage of engravers and publishers, produced the piece during a period when the family was actively engaged with both European and South Asian visual cultures. Their reputation for high‑quality aquatints and connections to Indian artistic motifs informed the print’s aesthetic approach.
Context
The print aligns with Romantic sensibilities that prized nature’s drama and emotional resonance. Its emphasis on a solitary bird in a sweeping landscape reflects the era’s fascination with the sublime and the detailed observation of wildlife, themes common in early‑19th‑century natural history illustration.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
The Havell family of Reading, Berkshire, England, included a number of notable engravers, etchers and painters, as well as writers, publishers, educators, and musicians.
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