{"product_id":"antique-1821-henry-alken-going-to-cover-hand-colored-aquatint-fox-hunting-engraving-framed-with-philip-suval-provenance","title":"Antique 1821 Henry Alken \"Going to Cover\" Hand-Colored Aquatint Fox Hunting Engraving - Framed with Philip Suval Provenance","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis antique hand-colored aquatint engraving, titled \"Going to Cover,\" is a classic example of early 19th-century British sporting art. Created after a design by the renowned artist Henry Thomas Alken (1785-1851), known for his vivid depictions of hunting, racing, and equestrian scenes, it was engraved by Thomas Sutherland (1785-1838), a skilled aquatint specialist who collaborated with Alken on numerous works. Published in London on August 1, 1821, the print captures the opening stage of a fox hunt, where riders in red coats and top hats, accompanied by a lively pack of hounds, advance toward the covert (a wooded area where the fox hides) across a rolling countryside landscape with distant villages and foliage. The composition is panoramic and dynamic, emphasizing movement and the thrill of the chase, typical of Alken's style influenced by the Romantic era's fascination with rural sports. The medium is etching with aquatint on wove paper, color-printed and finished by hand for vibrant hues in the figures, animals, and scenery. Signatures include \"Alken Del t.\" (delineavit, meaning \"drawn by Alken\") at bottom left, \"T. Sutherland Sculp t.\" (sculpsit, meaning \"engraved by Sutherland\") at bottom right, and the title with publication details at bottom center. It is part of an untitled four-plate fox-hunting series that also includes \"Full Cry,\" \"Breaking Cover,\" and \"The Death,\" offering a narrative progression of the hunt's key moments. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThe piece measures approximately 11.5 x 18.7 inches (plate size), framed to 16 x 23 inches and is is in a black wooden frame with gold accents, showing age-appropriate wear such as minor chipping and torn backing paper. The reverse features a label from Philip Suval Fine Arts (Madison Avenue, New York), a prestigious antiques dealer founded in 1896 that specialized in fine prints, etchings, pottery, and decorative arts, adding strong provenance and suggesting it was handled or sold by this family-run firm with locations in Manhattan and Southampton. In good antique condition overall, with expected toning, light foxing, and subtle discoloration from over 200 years of age, but no major tears or losses visible; the colors remain fresh and the details sharp.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAge\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Published August 1, 1821; approximately 204 years old.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUsage\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Originally intended as a collectible print for affluent enthusiasts of fox hunting and British countryside sports, often displayed in libraries, studies, or country homes. Today, it serves as decorative wall art for collectors of equestrian themes, antique engravings, or Regency-era decor.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin\u003c\/strong\u003e: London, England; exemplifies the golden age of British sporting prints during the early 19th century, when aquatint techniques allowed for detailed, affordable reproductions of paintings for the growing middle class.\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Light and Legacy","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42572280561707,"sku":"341","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/5379\/5371\/files\/20251209_154529.jpg?v=1765823728","url":"https:\/\/thelightandlegacy.com\/products\/antique-1821-henry-alken-going-to-cover-hand-colored-aquatint-fox-hunting-engraving-framed-with-philip-suval-provenance","provider":"Light and Legacy","version":"1.0","type":"link"}