Cotton Rat

1843

John T. Bowen, after John James Audubon

Associated Names
John T. Bowen

Artist, American, born England, 1801 - 1856

John James Audubon

Artist After, American, 1785 - 1851

The image depicts a landscape viewed from a slightly elevated position. The horizon is marked by trees and fencing, indicating a rural environment. In the distance, a small house with a smoking chimney can be seen among trees. Two cotton rats are prominently featured with detailed brushstrokes. The color palette is muted, with warm browns and greens dominating, and touches of pale blue and green in the background. The shading of animals and plants suggests a deliberate technique, providing a serene quality to the image.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    hand-colored lithograph on wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Corcoran Collection (Gift of Robert Scott Wiles)

  • Dimensions

    image (irregular): 36.83 × 59.69 cm (14 1/2 × 23 1/2 in.)
    sheet: 55.56 × 71.12 cm (21 7/8 × 28 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.19.2531

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Robert Scott Wiles, Arlington, Virginia; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1973; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Bibliography

1845

  • Audubon, John James, and Rev. John Bachman. The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America. New York: John James Audubon, 1845-1848, pl. 30 (XXX).

Inscriptions

upper left verso in graphite by unknown hand: E1557 / $65.00; lower right verso in graphite by unknown hand: 5 (circled)
text at top on stone:
No. 6. / Plate, XXX.
text at bottom on stone:
Drawn from Nature by J.J. Audubon, F.R.S. F.L.S. / Arvicola Hispidus, Say & Ord. / Cotton Rat. / Natural Size. / Lith. Printed & Cold. by J.T. Bowen, Philada. 1843.

Wikidata ID

Q77015253

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