Artwork
Violet-green Cormorant and Townsend's Cormorant
Violet-green Cormorant and Townsend's Cormorant 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. Created in 1838, this hand‑colored engraving and aquatint portrays two cormorants perched on a rocky ledge against a pale blue sky.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1838, this hand‑colored engraving and aquatint portrays two cormorants perched on a rocky ledge against a pale blue sky. The left bird displays a violet‑green plumage with a blue neck and orange bill, while the right bird is brown with a yellow bill. Both figures face left, their heads turned slightly toward one another, suggesting quiet interaction.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures two North American cormorant species—commonly known as the violet‑green and Townsend’s cormorant—rendered in a naturalistic pose. By placing the birds on a simple rock formation and using a calm background, the work emphasizes the birds’ presence in their habitat and conveys a sense of peaceful coexistence.
Technique & Style
Robert Havell Jr. employed a combination of engraving and aquatint on fine Whatman wove paper, then applied hand‑coloring to achieve subtle tonal variations. The aquatint provides soft washes of blue and green, while the engraved lines define feather detail. This method reflects the Havell family’s reputation for precise, richly colored natural history prints.
History & Provenance
The print originates from the Havell workshop, a leading British family of printmakers noted for their work on natural history subjects in the early nineteenth century. Though the Havells had extensive ties to Indian artistic traditions, this particular piece focuses on North American avifauna and was likely produced for a scientific or collector’s market of the period.
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.
