Baltimore Oriole

1827

Robert Havell, Jr.

Artist, American, born England, 1793 - 1878

Three orange, black, and white birds nestle among wide leaves and round, pale pink and yellow flowers in this hand-colored engraving. Two of the birds have vivid orange markings edged with black and white. One near the top right corner is numbered with a tiny 1 and the one below with a 2. Numbered 3, a female is muted in tone, and she perches on a sack-shaped nest hanging from the plant’s stem. All three birds face and are angled toward the center of the composition, which is mostly veiled with wide green leaves around three blossoms. Engraved text in the lower center of the print reads, “Baltimore Oriole, 1. & 2. Males, 3. Female and Nest, Icterus Baltimore. Plant Vulgo. Yellow Poplar. Lirodendron Tulipifera.” An inscription in the bottom left corner reads, “Drawn from Nature by John J. Audobon, F.R.S.E. M.W.S.” and another in the lower right corner reads, “Engraved by R. Havell Junior.” Fainter text below is difficult to make out.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    hand-colored engraving and aquatint on Whatman wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Mrs. Walter B. James

  • Dimensions

    plate: 65.9 x 52.6 cm (25 15/16 x 20 11/16 in.)
    sheet: 99.9 x 67 cm (39 5/16 x 26 3/8 in.)

  • Accession

    1945.8.12

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Birds of America, no. 12


Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

2005

  • Audubon's Dream Realized: Selections from "The Birds of America". The National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2005.

Bibliography

1827

  • Audubon, John James. The Birds of America. London: 1827-1838.

Wikidata ID

Q65082277


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