1838
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Plumed Partridge and Thick-legged Partridge is a 1838 ink by Robert Havell Jr., a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This picture shows two birds standing in a grassy field. The bird on the left has long black-and-white feathers on its tail and a mix of brown, blue, and white on its body. The bird on the right is smaller, with speckled brown feathers and a shorter tail. Both birds look alert, and the background has faint mountains and a pale sky. The artist used careful lines to show each feather and detail. The colors are bright but look hand-painted, not just printed. This kind of art was often used to document animals in books. 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
