1837
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Scolopaceus Courlan is a 1837 ink by Robert Havell Jr., a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This bird looks like it’s mid-stride on a rocky shore. Its long legs and beak are detailed, with feathers painted in earthy browns and soft whites. The background shows a calm body of water and distant hills, keeping the focus on the bird. The name *Scolopaceus Courlan* is printed below—likely the bird’s scientific title. The artist used fine lines to build up the texture of the feathers, a method called cross-hatching. Try looking up technique: cross-hatching to see how artists create depth with just lines.
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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