1835
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Black Tern is a 1835 ink by Robert Havell Jr., a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows two birds against a sky and ocean. The top bird glides with wings spread wide, its feathers a mix of pale gray and white. Below, a darker bird with black wings and a glossy head stands on a rock, facing left. The background has soft clouds and a distant shore. The darker bird is labeled *Sterna nigra*, which means it’s a black tern. The artist used fine lines to show texture in the feathers and waves. Look up engraving to see how artists like this one carved detailed images onto metal plates.
The Havell family of Reading, Berkshire, England, included a number of notable engravers, etchers and painters, as well as writers, publishers, educators, and musicians.
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