Artwork
Manks Shearwater
Manks Shearwater is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Robert Havell Jr.. It dates from 1836 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1836, *Manks Shearwater* is a hand‑coloured print that combines engraving with aquatint on a sheet of Whatman wove paper. The image presents a seabird in mid‑flight over choppy blue water, its dark plumage set against a pale belly, clutching a fish while rugged cliffs loom in the distance.
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays a Manks Shearwater, a marine bird native to the Isle of Man, rendered from direct observation. By placing the bird against a storm‑tossed sea and craggy shoreline, the print emphasizes the creature’s adaptation to a harsh coastal environment, highlighting both its graceful flight and its role as a fisher.
Technique & Style
Havell employed a fine line engraving to delineate feather detail and water ripples, then applied aquatint to achieve tonal washes of blue and gray. Hand‑colouring adds subtle highlights to the bird’s plumage and the surrounding sea, illustrating the Havell family’s mastery of the aquatint process, a method they helped popularise in early‑19th‑century British printmaking.
History & Provenance
The print was produced by Robert Havell Jr., a member of a distinguished line of English engravers. He inherited the family workshop from his father, Robert Havell Sr., and his uncle, Luke Havell, both noted for their contributions to natural history illustration. The piece likely circulated among collectors of scientific and ornamental prints during the 1830s.
Context
Issued at a time when British interest in natural history and coastal life was rising, the image reflects contemporary fascination with accurate, life‑drawn depictions of wildlife. The Havell workshop, already linked to major publications such as Audubon’s *Birds of America*, provided the technical expertise to meet the era’s demand for detailed, aesthetically refined prints.
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.
