Henry Samuel Alken, Jnr, British 1810-1894- A Set of Four...

Henry Samuel Alken, Jnr,
British 1810-1894-

A Set of Four Hunting Scenes: Setting out; Taking the fence; Breaking cover; and The kill;

oils on canvas, each 25 x 35.2 cm., a set of four (4).

Provenance:
with Arthur Ackermann & Son, London;
where purchased in June 1950.

Note:
We are grateful to Jamie Rountree for confirming the attribution of the present lot.

Henry Samuel Alken was the eldest son of Henry Thomas Alken (1785-1851), and grandson of Samuel Alken Senior (1756-1815). He tended to paint in sets and usually depicted sporting scenes. Paul Mellon KBE's collection of the artist's original drawings, watercolours, and oils was immense. Perhaps the most renowned of Henry Alken Jnr's four paintings sets is that recording the hunt at Belvoir Castle, which was also handled by Arthur Ackermann & Son. These oils reflect the palette and feeling of the artist's work, as well as displaying his respective strengths in capturing horses and their movement, and weaknesses in the portrayal of human faces. The owners of the country house, depicted in the left background of Setting Out, may point to the origins of the commission. It has been suggested that the house is Woburn Abbey, the family seat of the Duke of Bedford.