Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Hospitality, Lancaster House

Robert Havell junior was the son of painter, engraver and publisher Robert Havell senior. Together with his father, Robert junior formed the firm of R. Havell & Son. Father and son worked jointly on numerous projects, including their ‘Series of Views of the Public Buildings & Bridges in London’ (1821-22) and ‘Birds of America’ (1827-39) for the American ornithologist John James Audubon. However, Robert senior died in 1832, leaving his son to complete the project. In the following few years Havell focused on oil painting. As a result of his friendship with Audubon, he decided to emigrate to America, moving to Tarrytown, New York state, in 1857. Here he became a leading member of the Hudson River school. He died in Tarrytown at the age of 84.
Robert Havell senior, son of artist and publisher Daniel Havell, was born in Reading but moved to London as a child. After Robert launched his career, father and son collaborated on illustrations for Henry Salt’s ‘Twenty Four Views Taken in St. Helena’ (1809–10). However, the partnership was short-lived and Robert later established himself at premises in Fitzrovia. He married Lydia Miller Phillips and had a son, Robert junior. Robert junior and his father formed the firm of R. Havell & Son, working on numerous projects including ‘Birds of America’ for John James Audubon. The scale of this project led them to employ 50 additional staff and move to larger premises in Oxford Street. Robert senior died a year after the company expansion.

Places

England, London, Westminster Abbey, Westminster: Church of St. Margaret, Westminster

Subjects

wheelbarrow, horseback, topography, townscape/cityscape, dog, man, woman, soldier, fence, abbey, church

Materials & Techniques

aquatint, coloured aquatint

Artist

Robert, Jnr Havell (1793 - 1878)
Robert, Snr Havell (1769 - 1832)

Title

View of Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret’s Church / Vue de l’Abbaye de Westminster et de l’Eglise de Ste. Marguerite

Date

published 1820-1821

Medium

Coloured aquatint

Acquisition

Purchased from Walter T Spencer, January 1953

GAC number

2013