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Fishing on the River Avon, near Fordingbridge, Hampshire: Trout Fishing at Harper Mill (Primary Title)
Henry Thomas Alken, English, 1785 - 1851 (Artist)
In these two scenes, Alken captures anglers along the Hampshire Avon, one of the most famous rivers for trout fishing in England. Fishing was a less restrictive sport than shooting, and local fishermen could often obtain a permit from a landowner or the warden charged with looking after the stream and stocking it with fish. Alken’s figures relate convincingly to the landscape, which he has rendered in a realistic manner.
Inscribed on a rock, lower left, "H. Alken / 1842."
Paul Mellon Collection
2018-2019: "A Sporting Vision: The Paul Mellon Collection of British Sporting Art from the VMFA", National Sporting Museum & Library, Middleburg, VA, April 13 - July 22, 2018; Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN, February 2 - May 5, 2019; Frick Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, June 15 - September 8, 2019
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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