Artwork
Little Tyrant Flycatcher, Small-Headed Flycatcher, Blue Mountain Warbler, Bartram's Vireo, Short-Legged Pewee, and Rocky Mountain Flycatcher
Little Tyrant Flycatcher, Small-Headed Flycatcher, Blue Mountain Warbler, Bartram's Vireo, Short-Legged Pewee, and Rocky Mountain Flycatcher is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Robert Havell Jr.. It dates from 1838 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
This 1838 print, created by Robert Havell Jr. of the renowned Havell family of engravers and artists, combines hand-colored engraving and aquatint on Whatman wove paper. It showcases six North American bird species on a single tree branch, highlighting the artist's attention to naturalistic detail.
Subject & Meaning
The print features six distinct bird species: Little Tyrant Flycatcher, Small-Headed Flycatcher, Blue Mountain Warbler, Bartram's Vireo, Short-Legged Pewee, and Rocky Mountain Flycatcher. Each bird is meticulously depicted with unique plumage and posture, set against a naturalistic backdrop of a leafy tree branch.
Technique & Style
Havell Jr. employed his family's signature expertise in aquatint to achieve intricate textures and shading. The hand-colored aspects of the print add depth and dimensionality, with careful rendering of feathers, beaks, and foliage in a palette dominated by browns, yellows, and whites.
History & Provenance
Produced in 1838 by Robert Havell Jr., this work reflects the Havell family's established reputation in engraving and aquatint, particularly their association with Indian art and culture, though this piece focuses on North American avifauna.
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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