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At Length Old and Feeble (Primary Title)
The High Mettled Racer (Series Title)

Henry Thomas Alken, English, 1785–1851 (Artist)

1828
English
Prints
Works On Paper
Hand-colored soft-ground etching on wove paper
European Art
Sheet: 10 3/4 × 14 7/8 in. (27.31 × 37.78 cm)
Plate: 6 9/16 × 8 11/16 in. (16.67 × 22.07 cm)
Image: 3 5/16 × 4 7/8 in. (8.41 × 12.38 cm)
85.1315.6
Not on view
Printed above image upper center: "THE HIGH METTLED RACER."; upper right: "PL. 6." Printed beneath image lower left: "Hy. Alken, Delt."; lower center: "At length old and feeble, trudging early and late, / Bow'd down by degrees he bows down to his fate; / From morning till evening he tugs in a mill, / Or draw sand, till the sand of his hour glass stands still. / And when lifeless & cold he's exposed to the view, / In the very same cart which he yesterday drew; / Whilst a pitying crowd his sad relics surrounds, / The high mettled racer is sold for the hounds./ London. Published by Thos. Mc.Lean, 26, Haymarket, 1828." Inscribed in graphite on verso: "445" (in circle), "HRH/3 / 30/2", "George Birch Reynard Fox" (struck through) and "6".
Paul Mellon Collection
Catching Sight: The World of British Sporting Print, VMFA, August 31, 2013 - July 13, 2014
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

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