Six Drawings of Sporting Notions by Alken, Henry - 1815-1830

London, 1815-1830. Half Calf. Paper pastedown on boards. . Fine. A handsome modern binding of six original Alken drawings. Elephantine oblong, 35 by 50 cm. The drawings themselves are laid in a heavy board frame within the binding, and this frame has a window of 19 by 26 cm. The drawings themselves are laid on paper, and this paper is exposed, creating a margin all around, of about 1 cm. The drawings are titled: "I have a notion that I am not quite up to this riding in Surry [sic]", "A gad I had no notion that picking up a fox was such sharp work", "I have a strong notion that this is a coal hole", "I have a very strong notion I should not like stag hunting", "I have a strong notion that this bit of timber will impede my progress excessively", and "I have a notion that this may be called riding to the hounds at a smashing pace". All the drawings relate to foxhunting and its perils and sources of anxiety. The drawings served as the basis for some of the plates in one of the rarest of Alken's color plate books, "Sporting Notions", which was published in 1833 (with plates watermarked 1831 to 1833). Humor, along with a touch of pathos, pervades the artwork. The modern binding is handsome and worthy of the contents. Leather title label on front board.