Artwork
Pinnated Grous
Pinnated Grous is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Robert Havell Jr.. It dates from 1834 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1834, *Pinnated Grouse* is a hand‑colored engraving combined with aquatint, printed on smooth Whatman wove paper. The work presents a North American ground bird rendered with meticulous line work and subtle tonal washes, complemented by selective color applied after printing.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays two pinnated grouse, one upright and the other crouching, each marked by distinctive black‑and‑white striped plumage and vivid orange neck patches. Set within a gently rolling green landscape, the birds are framed by distant hills and a cluster of yellow, stemmed flowers, emphasizing their natural habitat.
Technique & Style
The print employs fine, parallel lines to model feather texture, while the aquatint provides soft, atmospheric shading across the background. After the plate was printed in monochrome, the artist applied hand‑applied watercolor to highlight the birds’ orange necks and the yellow blossoms, creating a limited but effective palette.
History & Provenance
The work was produced by Robert Havell Jr., a member of the Havell family renowned for their expertise in aquatint and reproductive engraving. The Havells, spanning several generations—including Robert Havell Sr. and his nephew Daniel—established a reputation for translating paintings and natural studies into high‑quality prints during the early nineteenth century.
Context
During the 1830s, detailed natural history prints were in demand for scientific publications and collectors interested in exotic fauna. The Havell workshop’s skill in combining engraving with hand‑coloring met this market, allowing accurate depictions of species like the pinnated grouse to be reproduced and disseminated widely.
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.
