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Henry Alken "Setters" Pencil and Watercolour
Sold by McTague of Harrogate
sold SA1224584
Sorry, but this item has been sold.
McTague of Harrogate

McTague of Harrogate

Sellingantiques Verified Since Apr 2011
Browse dealers 250 items
  • About Us
    Mctague of harrogate are yorkshire based dealers in old pictures. Please see website mctague.co.uk
  • Trade Associations
    McTague of Harrogate is a registered member of BADA 
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Id #SA1224584
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Henry Alken "Setters" Pencil and Watercolour

19th century
Description

Henry Thomas Alken was born on October 12, 1785, in Soho, London, to Samuel Alken, an artist and engraver. Alken's artistic journey began under his father's guidance and later with the miniature painter John Thomas Barber Beaumont. He married Maria Gordon in 1809 and had five children, with two of them becoming artists. Alken's career flourished from 1816 to 1831, during which he produced a vast array of paintings, drawings, and engravings, particularly focusing on sporting subjects. His work, characterized by its lively humor and energetic movement, became a staple of English country house decoration and is highly collectible today. Alken's illustrations combine accurate observation of equine anatomy and sporting technique with a comic sensibility, distinguishing them from the more austere sporting art of George Stubbs. His contributions to the art world are preserved in collections such as the Yale Center for British Art, the Tate, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

"Setters" is a lovely example. A pencil and watercolour measuring 9"x 14" it is signed lower left and is framed in a quality old frame giving an overall size of 16"x 20".

On the back is a nice old label for "Ellis & Smith" the renowned London art dealers.

Physical Dimensions
Height
41cm (16.14")
Width
51cm (20.08")
Depth
3cm (1.18")
Declaration

McTague of Harrogate has dated this Antique Sporting Dog Watercolour to the 1800s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1224584
Dealers Notes

Please note the shop is now open by appointment.

Free delivery mainland UK on any item.

Please telephone Paul 07885 108190

Description
Henry Thomas Alken was born on October 12, 1785, in Soho, London, to Samuel Alken, an artist and engraver.
“
Alken's artistic journey began under his father's guidance and later with the miniature painter John Thomas Barber Beaumont.
McTague of Harrogate

He married Maria Gordon in 1809 and had five children, with two of them becoming artists. Alken's career flourished from 1816 to 1831, during which he produced a vast array of paintings, drawings, and engravings, particularly focusing on sporting subjects. His work, characterized by its lively humor and energetic movement, became a staple of English country house decoration and is highly collectible today. Alken's illustrations combine accurate observation of equine anatomy and sporting technique with a comic sensibility, distinguishing them from the more austere sporting art of George Stubbs. His contributions to the art world are preserved in collections such as the Yale Center for British Art, the Tate, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

fig 1. A nineteenth-century pencil and watercolour drawing depicting two sporting setters running in profile across an open landscape, signed by Henry Alken.
fig 1. Henry Alken "Setters" Pencil and Watercolour

"Setters" is a lovely example. A pencil and watercolour measuring 9"x 14" it is signed lower left and is framed in a quality old frame giving an overall size of 16"x 20".

On the back is a nice old label for "Ellis & Smith" the renowned London art dealers.

Height
41cm (16.14")
Width
51cm (20.08")
Depth
3cm (1.18")
Date of Manufacture

McTague of Harrogate has dated this Antique Sporting Dog Watercolour to the 1800s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1224584
McTague of Harrogate
McTague of Harrogate
Sellingantiques verified Since Apr 2011

Mctague of harrogate are yorkshire based dealers in old pictures. Please see website mctague.co.uk

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the McTague of Harrogate Profile Page

Trade Associations

McTague of Harrogate is a registered member of BADA 

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A nineteenth-century pencil and watercolour drawing depicting two sporting setters running in profile across an open landscape, signed by Henry Alken. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO
1 / 4
Archive I A nineteenth-century pencil and watercolour drawing depicting two sporting setters running in profile across an open landscape, signed by Henry Alken. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO

Henry Alken "Setters" Pencil and Watercolour

Archive II A nineteenth-century pencil and watercolour drawing depicting two sporting setters running in profile across an open landscape, signed by Henry Alken. View II
Archive III A nineteenth-century pencil and watercolour drawing depicting two sporting setters running in profile across an open landscape, signed by Henry Alken. View III
Archive IV A nineteenth-century pencil and watercolour drawing depicting two sporting setters running in profile across an open landscape, signed by Henry Alken. View IV
Enlarged Archival View
McTague of Harrogate

McTague of Harrogate
Telephone 07885 108190
Location
North Yorkshire
United Kingdom

Viewing by appointment.
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/mctague
Verified Since Apr 2011
Items For Sale 250
Items Sold 1,190
McTague of Harrogate
McTague of Harrogate
Verified Since Apr 2011
View Dealer Info
Location: North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, , Viewing by appointment.,
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/mctague
Verified
Apr 2011
For Sale
250
Sold
1,190
A nineteenth-century pencil and watercolour drawing depicting two sporting setters running in profile across an open landscape, signed by Henry Alken.
Henry Alken "Setters" pencil and watercolour
Ref: SA1224584
A nineteenth-century pencil and watercolour drawing depicting two sporting setters running in profile across an open landscape, signed by Henry Alken.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectPaintings & Drawings
  • Period19th century
  • StyleBritish Sporting Art
  • MaterialPaper, Graphite, Watercolour
  • ColourMuted Buff and Grey
  • MotifsGraphite pencil work, Watercolour wash, Sporting gundogs, Open landscape setting
  • SizeH 41 cm (16 in) x W 51 cm (20 in) x D 3 cm (1 in)

FAQs

British sporting art from the nineteenth century encompasses paintings, drawings, and prints depicting hunting, equestrian scenes, field sports, and working dogs. Popularised during the Georgian and Regency eras by artists such as Henry Alken, these works documented rural traditions and canine breeds with anatomical precision and motion.

Artists typically executed works using graphite pencil underdrawing layered with transparent watercolour washes on hand-made rag paper or tinted card stock. Pigments were bound with gum arabic, giving light washes of earth tones, ochre, and indigo.

Authentic period drawings feature hand-applied pencil graphite underneath transparent watercolour layers rather than halftone printing dots. Original works also show natural paper ageing, age-related foxing, edge wear, and historical signatures rendered directly in graphite or ink.

Pair traditional sporting drawings with minimalist or transitional furniture to create visual contrast. Grouping multiple framed sketches together on a library wall or above a console table provides balance within modern and country house interiors alike.

Keep works on paper away from direct sunlight and high humidity to prevent fading and mould growth. Frame using acid-free mounting boards and UV-filtering glass to protect against environmental degradation over time.
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