HENRY ALKEN 'THE FIRST STEEPLE-CHASE' PLATE 4

AFTER HENRY THOMAS ALKEN (BRITISH, 1785�1851), ENGRAVED BY JOHN HARRIS (1811�1865) ANTIQUE HAND-COLOURED AQUATINT WITH ETCHING ON PAPER, PLATE 4 FROM "THE FIRST STEEPLE-CHACE ON RECORD", TITLED "NACTON CHURCH, AND VILLAGE / THE FINISH", PUBLISHED MARCH 1, 1839, BY BEN BROOKS AT HIS ECLIPSE SPORTING GALLERY, OXFORD. DEPICTS THE CLIMACTIC FINISH OF THE 1803 MOONLIGHT STEEPLECHASE WITH RIDERS IN NIGHTSHIRTS GALLOPING INTO NACTON VILLAGE PAST ASTONISHED RESIDENTS BENEATH THE CHURCH TOWER PROVENANCE: PRIVATE COLLECTION, OTTAWA 10.625 X 14.375 IN PLATE 19 X 22.75 IN FRAMED "THE FIRST STEEPLE-CHACE ON RECORD" REPRESENTS THE DEFINITIVE SUITE OF 19TH-CENTURY BRITISH EQUESTRIAN HUMOUR AND SPORTING HISTORY. CREATED BY THE CELEBRATED ILLUSTRATOR HENRY ALKEN AND FINELY EXECUTED IN AQUATINT BY JOHN HARRIS, THE PRINTS RECOUNT THE LEGENDARY DECEMBER 1803 CONTEST UNDERTAKEN BY CAVALRY OFFICERS IN NIGHT APPAREL ACROSS SUFFOLK. THIS CONCLUDING FOURTH PLATE DEPICTS THE EXULTANT MIDNIGHT ARRIVAL AT NACTON CHURCH, COMPLETE WITH CHEERING CAVALIERS AND AWAKENED VILLAGERS, FEATURING EXCELLENT PERIOD HAND-APPLIED WATERCOLOUR DETAILING