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Henry Thomas Alken
Henry Thomas Alken

Henry Thomas Alken

English, 1785 – 1851
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Henry Thomas Alken was an English painter and engraver chiefly known as a caricaturist and illustrator of sporting subjects and coaching scenes. His most prolific period of painting and drawing occurred between 1816 and 1831.

Alken was born on 12 October 1785 in Soho, Westminster, and baptised on 6 November at St James's Church, Piccadilly. He was the third son of Samuel Alken, a sporting artist. Two of his brothers were George and Samuel Alken the Younger, also an artist. In 1789, the Alken family moved from Soho to 2, Francis Street East, Bedford Square.

Young Henry first studied under his father and then with the miniature painter John Thomas Barber Beaumont (1774–1841), also known as J. T. Barber. In 1801, Alken sent a miniature portrait of Miss Gubbins to the Royal Academy Exhibition. He exhibited a second miniature at the Royal Academy before abandoning miniature painting and taking on painting and illustrating. Early in his career, he painted sporting subjects under the name of "Ben Tally-O". Alken married Maria Gordon on 14 October 1809 at St Clement's Church, Ipswich. On 22 August of the following year later the couple's first son was baptised. Alken went on to father five children, of whom two were artists, Samuel Henry, also a sporting artist, known as Henry Alken junior, and Sefferien junior.

From about 1816 onwards Alken "produced an unending stream of paintings, drawings and engravings of every type of field and other sporting activity," and his soft-ground etchings were often colored by hand. When Alken was 26, he and his young family lived over a shop in Haymarket that belonged to print publisher Thomas McLean of the "Repository of Wit and Humour." McLean paid Alken a daily wage of thirty shillings, considered a good income at the time.

Alken died in April 1851 and was buried in Highgate cemetery. Although fairly affluent for most of his career, he fell on hard times towards the end of his life and was buried at his daughter's expense.

444 items

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The Seven Ages of the Horse

The Seven Ages of the Horse (1825)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
The Seven Ages of the Horse

The Seven Ages of the Horse (1825)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
Two Pointers, Facing Left

Two Pointers, Facing Left

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Animals
Two Pointers, Facing Right with a Sportsman

Two Pointers, Facing Right with a Sportsman

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Animals
Sporting sketches – Title page

Sporting sketches – Title page (1817-1818)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
A deer

A deer (1820 - 1830)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Animals
Jumping horse

Jumping horse (1820 - 1830)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Animals
Partridges in a field

Partridges in a field (1820 - 1830)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Animals
Pointer looking at gamebird

Pointer looking at gamebird (1820 - 1830)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Animals
Sketch of pheasant, one flying and the other on the ground

Sketch of pheasant, one flying and the other on the ground (1820 - 1830)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Animals
Two deer, near a running fence

Two deer, near a running fence (1820 - 1830)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Animals
Coach with driver, passengers, and dog barking

Coach with driver, passengers, and dog barking (1820-1830)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Hunters, riders (one brandishing a whip) and hounds chasing a rabbit

Hunters, riders (one brandishing a whip) and hounds chasing a rabbit (1820-1830)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Knight in armor with mace, mounted on horse

Knight in armor with mace, mounted on horse (1820-1830)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Steeplechase race

Steeplechase race (1820-1830)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
The chase

The chase (1820-1830)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
A Blessing unknown to ambition & Pride

A Blessing unknown to ambition & Pride (1822)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
A Highland lad my love was born…

A Highland lad my love was born… (1822)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
Deserted by the waning moon…

Deserted by the waning moon… (1822)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
Far removed from Noise & Smoke…

Far removed from Noise & Smoke… (1822)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
I am the boy for bewitching them…

I am the boy for bewitching them… (1822)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
Mary, dear Mary list awake. And take the moon thy slumbers break…

Mary, dear Mary list awake. And take the moon thy slumbers break… (1822)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
Music hath power to melt the Soul…

Music hath power to melt the Soul… (1822)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
My love she’s so pretty…

My love she’s so pretty… (1822)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
O would t’were my lot…

O would t’were my lot… (1822)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
That Love’s a Tyrant I can prove…

That Love’s a Tyrant I can prove… (1822)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
Throwing off dull melancholy…

Throwing off dull melancholy… (1822)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
What beau was arm’d completer…

What beau was arm’d completer… (1822)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
What’s this dull town to me…

What’s this dull town to me… (1822)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
When in death I shall calm recline…

When in death I shall calm recline… (1822)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Illustration
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