First published in 1827 as Plate 22 of John James Audubon's monumental Birds of America, Purple Martin represents a landmark achievement in natural history illustration, engraved by the master printmaker Robert Havell. This classical composition depicts a cluster of purple martins nesting in a hollowed gourd, a traditional nesting practice. The work is celebrated for its anatomical precision, dynamic composition, and the exquisite rendering of the birds' iridescent plumage. Every format of this archival reproduction, including our canvas option, is finished with a consistent, clean white gallery border that floats the artwork in standard proportions, offering a refined, gallery-ready presentation that honors the architectural integrity of the original engraving without cropping.
About Your Border
Every format — Fine Art Print, Framed Fine Art Print, Canvas and Framed Canvas — is supplied with a clean white gallery border framing the image on all four sides. The border is sized in proportion to the piece — approximately 10% of the shortest edge on each side (for example, about 3 cm of white border on a 30 cm-wide piece) — so the artwork keeps its standard proportions with no cropping and is ready to hang or frame straight away. If you prefer, you can also place your own mount/mat on top.
Would you like a different border width, a borderless full-bleed version, or any other adjustment? Just let us know within 24 hours of ordering and we'll tailor it for you at no extra cost.
