1838
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Townsend's Sandpiper is a 1838 ink by Robert Havell Jr., a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This bird is mid-flight, wings spread wide over a light blue sky. Its feathers are a mix of gray, white, and black, with a small orange beak and legs. The background is simple—just a faint horizon line and a tiny fish swimming below. The artist used fine lines to show every feather and detail. This kind of careful work was common in old nature prints. Look up engraving to see how artists like this made such sharp images.
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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