Today a visit with an English artist who was known for his sporting and coaching scenes. #HenryThomasAlken (1785-1851) was a painter and engraver. In fact, we could talk about a number of the Alken family who were artists. His father Samuel, his brothers George and Samuel the Younger as well as two of Henry’s five children. His early studies were with his father and JT Beaumont – a painter of miniature portraits which Henry abandoned to paint sporting scenes. Alken was a prolific artist. Producing a continuous run of paintings, drawings, and engravings from 1816 to 1831. During this time, he lived over the printing shop and was employed by #ThomasMcLean – publisher of the “Repository of Wit and Humour”.

The drawing in my collection (6″ x 10.5″) bears the initials GL and was drawn in 1811. The watermark on the Whatman paper is 1811. I have seen an image on line of an engraving from a book published in 1821 which is much like the drawing although not exactly the same attributed to Henry. It maybe by a follower or friend who admired the work of the Alken family. Whomever painted this did capture the style perfectly. The postures and expressions of the horse and hounds and the rider are exactly correct. Nicely drawn in pencil and then coloured with watercolour, it is a fine piece from more than 200 years ago.