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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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Head and Neck of a Frightened Horse, Left Profile

Head and Neck of a Frightened Horse, Left Profile

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Head and Neck of a Horse in Fear or Exhaustion, Mane Swept Forwards, Profile Right

Head and Neck of a Horse in Fear or Exhaustion, Mane Swept Forwards, Profile Right

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Head and Neck of a Horse, Profile Left

Head and Neck of a Horse, Profile Left

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Head and Shoulders of a Boxer Dog, Profile Left, Wearing a Leather Collar A ttached to a Ring Post

Head and Shoulders of a Boxer Dog, Profile Left, Wearing a Leather Collar A ttached to a Ring Post

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Head and Shoulders of a Boxer Dog, Profile Right

Head and Shoulders of a Boxer Dog, Profile Right

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Head and Shoulders of a Collie Dog, Wearing a Leash or Tether, Sketchy Sheep in Background

Head and Shoulders of a Collie Dog, Wearing a Leash or Tether, Sketchy Sheep in Background

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Head of a Foxhound, in Profile Right

Head of a Foxhound, in Profile Right

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Head of a Horse Wearing a Bridle

Head of a Horse Wearing a Bridle

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Head of a Pointer, in Profile Left

Head of a Pointer, in Profile Left

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Head of a Stable Lad, Looking Between the Heads of a Horse, on His Left, and a Donkey, on His Right

Head of a Stable Lad, Looking Between the Heads of a Horse, on His Left, and a Donkey, on His Right

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Heads and Necks of Two Horses Wearing Bridles, Right Profiles

Heads and Necks of Two Horses Wearing Bridles, Right Profiles

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Hooded Damascene Cavalryman Riding

Hooded Damascene Cavalryman Riding

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Horse and Dog

Horse and Dog

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Horse and Rider seen from the Rear

Horse and Rider seen from the Rear

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Hussar with High Plume in His Helmet, Mounted on a Horse, With High Held Swishing Tail

Hussar with High Plume in His Helmet, Mounted on a Horse, With High Held Swishing Tail

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Illustration to R.S. Surtees’, ‘Jorrocks’s Jaunts and Jollities’: Title page

Illustration to R.S. Surtees’, ‘Jorrocks’s Jaunts and Jollities’: Title page

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Knight Falling From His Horse at a Squire’s Tilt

Knight Falling From His Horse at a Squire’s Tilt

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Knight in Armour Standing by a Plumed and Caparisoned Horse

Knight in Armour Standing by a Plumed and Caparisoned Horse

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
‘Landscape Scenery’, No. 10: Scenes with Wood-Cutters

‘Landscape Scenery’, No. 10: Scenes with Wood-Cutters (1821)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
‘Landscape Scenery’, No. 13: Groups of Infantry and Army Horses

‘Landscape Scenery’, No. 13: Groups of Infantry and Army Horses (1821)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
‘Landscape Scenery’, No. 15: Racehorse with Jockey Up, Two Men Discussing the Horse

‘Landscape Scenery’, No. 15: Racehorse with Jockey Up, Two Men Discussing the Horse (1823)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
‘Landscape Scenery’, No. 18: Scenes of Horse Drawn Artillery, etc.

‘Landscape Scenery’, No. 18: Scenes of Horse Drawn Artillery, etc. (1821)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
‘Landscape Scenery’, No. 7: Scenes of Cricket and a Waggoner With His Team

‘Landscape Scenery’, No. 7: Scenes of Cricket and a Waggoner With His Team (1821)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
Man Leaning on a Fence

Man Leaning on a Fence (1815)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
‘Scraps’, no 17: Racing, Three Horses with Jockeys Up Galloping to Right

‘Scraps’, no 17: Racing, Three Horses with Jockeys Up Galloping to Right

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
‘Scraps’, no. 22: Hunting, Unkennelling with Two Riders Watching

‘Scraps’, no. 22: Hunting, Unkennelling with Two Riders Watching

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
‘Scraps’, No. 24: Hunting -Ttwo Riders, One Opening a Gate For Hounds

‘Scraps’, No. 24: Hunting -Ttwo Riders, One Opening a Gate For Hounds (1823)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
‘Scraps’, No. 26: Hunting – The Kill, Fox About to be Thrown to the Hounds

‘Scraps’, No. 26: Hunting – The Kill, Fox About to be Thrown to the Hounds

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
‘Scraps’, No. 27: Two Dismounted Riders Drinking at an Alehouse Door

‘Scraps’, No. 27: Two Dismounted Riders Drinking at an Alehouse Door (1823)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
‘Scraps’, No. 28: Skittle Alley With Players and Spectators

‘Scraps’, No. 28: Skittle Alley With Players and Spectators (1823)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Drawings
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