Goshawk

Goshawk by Don Cordery

Don Cordery, 1977

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About this artwork

This is "Goshawk" by Don Cordery, a striking lithograph created in 1977. The work captures a powerful goshawk, its sleek body and keen eye set against a faint townscape backdrop. The lithographic process allows Cordery to render fine feather detail and the subtle shadow of the bird’s wing in crisp monochrome lines. The piece sits within a broader collection that celebrates avian subjects, and its composition hints at the bird’s interaction with human‑made structures—notice the railing the hawk seems to perch on. Cordery, born in 1942, has long explored the tension between wildlife and built environments in his prints. The work was presented to the collection by Curwen Studio in 1978, adding a contemporary voice to the historic exhibition of British bird imagery.

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Goshawk is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.

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