John James Audubon Leipzig Ed.Shoveller Print Lithograph Engraving 1973 Germany Birds of America Collection

The Audubon Havell Ed. Pl 327, Shoveller Duck is an exquisite 19th-century, hand-colored engraving capturing this North American species.

The delicacy of the engraved lines, subtle tonal modulation of the aquatint, and vibrancy of the hand-applied color cause this magnificent bird to come to life on the page. As a testament to the antique printing process, a platemark can be found outside the image area in the form of a rectangular depression in the sheet. Similarly, as with all full-size original Audubon engravings, this print contains a  in the margins of the sheet, signifying its unquestionable authenticity.

As part of the first and most valuable edition of the, Audubon Havell Ed. Pl 327, Shoveller Duck is a testament to the legacy of Audubon’s artistry and a treasure for art collectors and naturalists alike. Enrich your art collection and enliven your environment with this unique piece of American history.

About Audubon’s Havell edition of the Birds of America

Audubon’s lavish Havell edition folio of spectacularly launched his career as an artist-naturalist and solidified his placement in the canon of early American art. His monumental project was produced between 1827 and 1836 by London printmaker Robert Havell Jr., after a short-lived attempt by Scottish engraver W. H. Lizars, who produced the first ten plates but was forced to relinquish the project after his colorists went on strike.

on 26 1/2″ x 39″ double-elephant folio-size sheets of the Havell edition prints capture the tantalizing detail and life-like quality of Audubon’s birds. Rendered at life-size, Audubon’s birds are some of the largest representations ever made. Once complete, Audubon’s folio comprised 435 prints, which were issued to 186 subscribers for the costly sum of $ 1,000 each — the cost of a substantial home at that time. Of the 186 complete sets produced, more than 100 are intact in library and museum collections worldwide. Since their production by Robert Havell over 175 years ago, a number of the folios have been disassembled to make the prints available for individual sale. Joel Oppenheimer, Inc. specializes in these rare, original engravings, maintaining an extensive inventory, many in exceptionally fine condition.