1820
chalk
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Hermit Thrush is a 1820 chalk by John James Audubon, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This bird sits alone on a branch, its brown back speckled with darker spots. Its chest is pale, almost white, and its tail feathers fan out in soft red-brown. The background is plain, letting the bird stand out clearly. The artist wrote the bird’s name in neat script: *Hermit Thrush*. The date and place—*Kentucky, Oct. 16, 1820*—are tucked in the corner like a quiet note. Next, check out watercolor, glazing to see how artists build up light and color.
John James Audubon (born Jean-Jacques Rabin, April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was a French-American artist, entrepreneur, naturalist, explorer, and ornithologist.
See the richer artist page
