Artwork
Mangrove Humming Bird
Mangrove Humming Bird is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Havell, Jr., Robert. It dates from 1834 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1834, Mangrove Humming Bird is a hand‑colored print that combines engraving and aquatint on a sheet of Whatman wove paper. The work presents a small bird rendered with meticulous detail against a stylized mangrove backdrop, reflecting the precision of early 19th‑century natural history illustration.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays a hummingbird hovering among orange blossoms on a green vine, its plumage rendered in vivid reds, greens and golds. The inclusion of the bird’s scientific name underscores the work’s function as a visual record of a specific species, intended for study as well as aesthetic appreciation.
Technique & Style
Robert Havell Jr. employed a combination of line engraving for fine outlines and aquatint to achieve tonal washes, then applied hand‑applied watercolor to enhance colour. The use of Whatman wove paper provided a smooth surface that allowed delicate line work and subtle gradations to coexist without the interference of a textured grain.
History & Provenance
The print belongs to the Havell family’s tradition of natural‑history publishing; Robert Havell Jr. followed the practices established by his father, Robert Havell the Elder, and his uncle, Luke Havell, who were prominent engravers and aquatintists engaged with Indian artistic circles. The work was likely produced for a scientific or collector’s market in the 1830s.
Context
During the early 1800s, European interest in exotic flora and fauna grew alongside expanding colonial networks. Engravers such as Havell supplied detailed visual documentation for naturalists before photography, bridging artistic skill and scientific observation in a period of intense botanical and zoological discovery.
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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.
