American Bittern
1836
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1836
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
American Bittern is a 1836 ink by Robert Havell Jr., a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This bird stands still in tall grass, its feathers a mix of brown and white. Its long neck is bent slightly, and its legs look like thin yellow sticks. The background shows wet ground with patches of water, and the grass is painted in soft green strokes. The artist used fine lines to show texture in the feathers and reeds. This kind of careful detail was common in scientific illustrations from that time. Look up engraving to see how artists like this made prints before photography.
