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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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‘Lift me Up! Tie me in my Chair! Fill my Glass’

‘Lift me Up! Tie me in my Chair! Fill my Glass’

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
Morning Ride

Morning Ride (between 1822 and 1823)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
Mr. Jorrocks Beats the Baron for Speed

Mr. Jorrocks Beats the Baron for Speed

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Mr. Jorrocks Renounces the Acquaintance of the Yorkshireman’

‘Mr. Jorrocks Renounces the Acquaintance of the Yorkshireman’

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Mr. Jorrocks Takes a Ride at St. Cloud’

‘Mr. Jorrocks Takes a Ride at St. Cloud’

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Mr. Jorrocks’s Surprize on Seeing the Paris Diligence, ‘My Vig, Here’s Wombwell’s Wildbeast show’ ‘

‘Mr. Jorrocks’s Surprize on Seeing the Paris Diligence, ‘My Vig, Here’s Wombwell’s Wildbeast show’ ‘

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
Partridge Shooting

Partridge Shooting

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
Pheasant Shooting

Pheasant Shooting

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
Poachers Surprised

Poachers Surprised

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Qualified Horses and Unqualified Riders;’ `Returning Home in Triumph. He Disdain’d a Slothful Easey Life; so Took to Hunting’

‘Qualified Horses and Unqualified Riders;’ `Returning Home in Triumph. He Disdain’d a Slothful Easey Life; so Took to Hunting’

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Qualified Horses and Unqualified Riders;’ ‘Charging an Ox Fence with Good Success’

‘Qualified Horses and Unqualified Riders;’ ‘Charging an Ox Fence with Good Success’

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Qualified Horses and Unqualified Riders;’ ‘Faceing a Brook Verifying the Old Adage, Look Before You Leap’

‘Qualified Horses and Unqualified Riders;’ ‘Faceing a Brook Verifying the Old Adage, Look Before You Leap’

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Qualified Horses and Unqualified Riders;’ ‘Going Along a Slapping Pace…’

‘Qualified Horses and Unqualified Riders;’ ‘Going Along a Slapping Pace…’

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Qualified Horses and Unqualified Riders;’ ‘Got in and Getting Out. Very Clever’

‘Qualified Horses and Unqualified Riders;’ ‘Got in and Getting Out. Very Clever’

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Qualified Horses and Unqualified Riders;’ ‘Swishing at a Rasper From Your Own Timidity and Mismanagement Cause the Horse to Swerve…’

‘Qualified Horses and Unqualified Riders;’ ‘Swishing at a Rasper From Your Own Timidity and Mismanagement Cause the Horse to Swerve…’

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Qualified Horses and Unqualified Riders;’ ‘Topping a Flight of Rails…’

‘Qualified Horses and Unqualified Riders;’ ‘Topping a Flight of Rails…’

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
Rather Too Fast

Rather Too Fast

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Rather Too Slow’

‘Rather Too Slow’

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
Rider Holding on to a Gray Horse After a Fall

Rider Holding on to a Gray Horse After a Fall

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
Rider on a Brown Horse About to Jump a Rail Fence to the Right

Rider on a Brown Horse About to Jump a Rail Fence to the Right

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
Rider on a Brown Horse Going at a Wall

Rider on a Brown Horse Going at a Wall

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Riding to Horses with Difficulty’

‘Riding to Horses with Difficulty’

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
Shot from a Gun

Shot from a Gun

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Some Do and Some Don’t; It is All a Notion;’ Getting a Dive

‘Some Do and Some Don’t; It is All a Notion;’ Getting a Dive (between 1848 and 1851)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Some Do and Some Don’t; It is All a Notion;’ Getting a Fall

‘Some Do and Some Don’t; It is All a Notion;’ Getting a Fall (between 1848 and 1851)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Some Do and Some Don’t; It is All a Notion;’ Getting Dead Beat

‘Some Do and Some Don’t; It is All a Notion;’ Getting Dead Beat (between 1848 and 1851)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Some Do and Some Don’t; It is All a Notion;’ Getting Home

‘Some Do and Some Don’t; It is All a Notion;’ Getting Home (between 1820 and 1821)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Some Do and Some Don’t; It is All a Notion;’ Getting into a Bog

‘Some Do and Some Don’t; It is All a Notion;’ Getting into a Bog (between 1848 and 1851)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Some Do and Some Don’t; It is All a Notion;’ Getting into a Difficulty

‘Some Do and Some Don’t; It is All a Notion;’ Getting into a Difficulty (between 1848 and 1851)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
‘Some Do and Some Don’t; It is All a Notion;’ Getting Over a Difficulty

‘Some Do and Some Don’t; It is All a Notion;’ Getting Over a Difficulty (between 1848 and 1851)

Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785 – 1851)
Figurative
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