Hand Coloured Horse Racing Etching by Henry Alken, published by Thomas McLean, Haymarket London, 1820

Henry Thomas Alken (1785 –1851) was an English painter and engraver, chiefly known as a caricaturist and illustrator of sporting subjects. He exhibited at the Royal Academy as a miniaturist before turning to painting and illustration. He was also a skilled etcher. When he was 26, he and his young family lived over a shop in Haymarket that belonged to print publisher Thomas McLean. McLean (1788-1875) was active at 26 Haymarket, London in the 1820s-1860s and was well known for his political caricatures. McLean paid Alken a daily wage of thirty shillings, considered a good income at the time.

The engraving is in very good condition with minimal spotting and fresh, bright colours.