As a Foal You First See Him (Primary Title)
The High Mettled Racer (Series Title)
Henry Thomas Alken, English, 1785–1851 (Artist)
Printed above image, upper center: "THE HIGH METTLED RACER."; upper right: "PL.1.". Printed beneath image lower left: "Hy. Alken. Delt."; lower center: "As a Foal you first see him ev'n then highly match'd, / With tenderness rear'd lest the prize should be snatch'd; / From the grasp of his owner, whose principle fort, / Is in "play or pay bubbles", and things of that sort. / He now is all nature his limbs finely formed, / His mouth never bitted, his whole form unadorned: / By rich colour'd silks, platted mane, and such stuff. / For a thorough bred Foal is quite handsome enough./ London. Published by Thos. Mc.Lean. 26.Haymarket.1828. Inscribed in graphite on verso: "440" (in circle), "HRH/3 / 28/1", "George Bird [Birch?] Reynard Fox" (struck through) and "1"
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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