Oil on canvas, 38.1cm by 52.7cm.
Signed l.r.: H. Alken and inscribed: ‘Doncaster St. Leger 1847 The Start,’ also inscribed and dated 1847 on the reverse.
Henry Thomas Alken was the son of a sporting artist, with whom he initially trained.
He later studied with the miniature painter J.T.Barber (1774-1841) and early in his career was a miniaturist.
However, he eventually turned to painting sporting and coaching subjects, working in both oil and water colour.
He was also an extremely skilled etcher and caricaturist.
His son, Henry Alken Jnr. (1810-1894), also became a fine sporting artist.
