Printing Audubon’s "The Birds of America"

media release: Emily Arthur, associate professor, printmaking, book art + paper

UW-Madison Art Department

Harvard University, Eleanor M. Garvey Visiting Fellow in printing & graphic arts (2023)

Although scholars in various fields have explored Audubon’s biography, work, and place in American history, Robert Havell, Jr.’s role in transforming Audubon’s watercolors into the famous double-elephant prints has received much less attention. This presentation explores the craft practices and visual vocabulary of engravers like Havell, whose secret engraving techniques helped translate a three-dimensional world into The Birds of America.