1830
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Fish Hawk is a 1830 ink by Robert Havell Jr., a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This bird is diving low over water, talons gripping a fish mid-snap. Its wings are spread wide, feathers a mix of brown and white, with sharp yellow eyes locked on its prey. The fish’s scales shimmer in blues and silvers, its mouth open as if caught mid-scream. In the background, a faint outline of land or mountains sits on the horizon. The artist used fine lines to show every feather and scale, making the bird and fish look almost real. This kind of detail was common in scientific illustrations of the time. Next, look up engraving to see how artists carved these precise lines into 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.
See the richer artist page
