Louisiana Heron

1834

Robert Havell, Jr.

Artist, American, born England, 1793 - 1878

John James Audubon

Artist After, American, 1785 - 1851

Robert Havell after John James Audubon

Attributed to

An ocean-blue bird with a long body and a flax-yellow beak and legs stands in a lush landscape in this vertical color print. The image is printed on cream-colored paper with a wide margin around the edges. The bird stands with its body in profile facing our left on a low dirt mound. Its head is turned completely around to our right with its beak tilted down and one amber-yellow eye looking our way. Its tall legs are dotted with brown, and a long blue and brown plume drapes down from its back. Long, plum-purple feathers adorn its throat, and white feathers line the underside of its neck and head. The bird stands next to a tall plant to the right. Bare tree trunks float in a pewter-gray river that begins in the lower left and widens as it reaches the center. The river divides the bird from a grove of palm trees, bushes, and reeds painted in muted tones of green, yellow, and gray that almost fills the left side. Another grove of palms in tones of gray fills the center distance with bare, contorted tree trunks in the water before it. The print is inscribed outside the image in all four corners and the bottom center. The upper left reads, “No. 44” and the upper right reads, “Plate CCXVII.” The lower left reads, “Drawn from Nature by J.J. Audubon. F.R.S. F.L.S.” and the lower right reads, “Engraved, Printed & Coloured by R. Havell, 1834.” The center inscription reads, “Louisiana Heron” printed in script and continues, “ARDEA LUDOVICIANA. Wils Male adult.”

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    hand-colored engraving and aquatint on Whatman wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Mrs. Walter B. James

  • Dimensions

    plate: 52.8 x 66 cm (20 13/16 x 26 in.)
    sheet: 68.5 x 101.2 cm (26 15/16 x 39 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1945.8.217

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Birds of America, no. 217


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

Q65083009


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