Racing [The Start]

Thomas Rowlandson|S. W. Fores

January 1, 1799 · Hand-colored etching · Drawings and Prints

Spectators seated in carriages, on horseback, and on foot, line a course to watch a horse race--the stout rider scattering figures at right is not a racer but a spectator whose mount runs out of control. The print comes from a group by Rowlandson devoted to moments in horse racing--interestingly none shows a finish. When first published around 1789, the titles were "The Mount," "The Start," "The Betting Post," and "The Course." The present example comes from an expanded reissue of 1798-99 with titles altered to "Mounting" (59.533.1697), "Racing" (59.533.1694), "Betting" (59.533.1695), with "Between Heats" (59.533.514, 59.533.1700), and "Weighing" (59.533.1696) and "Running out of the Course" (59.533.1698) added.

Artist

Thomas Rowlandson|S. W. Fores

Date

January 1, 1799

Medium

Hand-colored etching

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959