Snowy Heron, or White Egret

1835

Robert Havell, Jr.

Artist, American, born England, 1793 - 1878

A white bird with long legs, a long neck, and a narrow, pointed beak stands facing our right in profile against a deep landscape in this vertical, colored engraving. Feathers lying close to the neck and body resemble long, soft hair cascading down and off the back of the head, off the bottom of the neck where it meets the body, and around the tail. The bird’s beak and legs are black, and the eye we see and its feet are pale yellow. It stands on a dirt-packed riverbank in front of tall grasses. Grassy fields lead into the deep distance to the right, where a house and outbuildings sit on the horizon about a third of the way up the composition. A person carrying a rifle approaches the riverbank from the far side of a hill near the lower right corner of the print. Thin gray clouds skirt across a mostly blue sky above. Text is printed beneath the image: “Drawn from Nature, by J.J. Audubon. F.R.S. F.L.S.” to the left; “Snowy Heron, or White Egret, Ardea Candidissima, Gm. Male adult spring plumage River Plantation, South Carolina” in the center; and “Engraved, Printed, & Coloured by R. Havell, London. 1835.” to the right.

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: 65.4 x 52.7 cm (25 3/4 x 20 3/4 in.)
    sheet: 100 x 68 cm (39 3/8 x 26 3/4 in.)

  • Accession

    1945.8.242

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Birds of America, no. 242


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

Q65083107


You may be interested in

Loading Results