The Analysis of the Hunting Field; Being a Series of Sketches of the Principal Characters That Compose One. The Whole Forming a Slight Souvenir of the Season, 1845-6

Surtees, Robert Smith (1805-1864)

Edité par Rudolph Ackermann, London, 1846

A propos de cet article

THE COMIC ANATOMY OF THE VICTORIAN HUNT. A superbly bound copy of Robert Smith Surtees's celebrated sporting satire, illustrated by Henry Alken. More than a work on fox hunting, The Analysis of the Hunting Field is a humorous study of the personalities, rituals, and social customs surrounding the English hunt. Originally published as a series of sketches in Bell's Life in London during the 1845-46 hunting season, the work introduces the colorful characters who populated the hunting field - masters, whips, riders, sporting gentlemen, and enthusiastic newcomers - all observed through Surtees's sharp wit and distinctive comic style. Surtees transformed sporting writing into social commentary, creating one of the most entertaining portraits of Victorian sporting culture and the traditions surrounding the English country estate. A MASTERPIECE OF SPORTING ILLUSTRATION. Illustrated by Henry Thomas Alken, one of the leading sporting artists of the nineteenth century, the volume contains six hand-colored aquatint plates, an additional title page, and forty-three wood engravings. Alken's lively depictions capture the movement, humor, and personalities of the hunting field that made Surtees's work so enduring. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Handsomely bound by Morrell in full crimson morocco leather. Four raised bands with gilt titles and decorations. Dentelles embellished with gilt hunting motifs. Marbled doublures and endpapers. Red silk place-marker ribbon. Original cloth and spine bound in at rear. Quarto, 26 cm. vi, 326 pages. Illustrated with six hand-colored aquatint plates, extra title page, and forty-three wood engravings by Cook and Co. CONDITION: Very Good. The binding is tight and square. Text is clean with age-toning and scattered foxing. Moderate handling wear. Small darkened area to the upper front board near the spine. All plates present. PROVENANCE: Large engraved armorial bookplate of James Allen Young, featuring a coat of arms beneath a crested helm, rococo cartouche, and Latin motto: Nomen juvenis non mens. LITERARY SIGNIFICANCE: THE HUNTING FIELD AS SOCIAL COMEDY. Robert Smith Surtees is recognized as one of the great comic writers of English sporting life. While The Analysis of the Hunting Field appears at first glance to be a work about fox hunting, its lasting appeal comes from Surtees's observation of human character. The hunt becomes a stage upon which vanity, ambition, enthusiasm, and social performance are displayed. Surtees's sporting novels and sketches established him as a leading chronicler of nineteenth-century country life, combining humor, satire, and affectionate observation of the traditions he portrayed. THE ART OF HENRY ALKEN. Henry Thomas Alken (1785-1851) was among the most celebrated British sporting artists of the nineteenth century. Known for his hunting, coaching, and field sports illustrations, Alken's energetic compositions became central to the visual tradition of English sporting books. SUBJECTS: Robert Smith Surtees, Henry Alken, Fox Hunting, English Sporting Life, Victorian Society, Country Estates, Hunting Etiquette, Sporting Prints, Social Comedy, Illustrated Sporting Books, Sporting Literature, Illustrated Books, Social Satire, Victorian Literature, Humor, Hunting Literature. REFERENCES: Tooley 470; Prideaux; Nevill 31; Kunitz 597; Roy Young Catalogue 236; Higginson 55; Smith 433.

N° de réf. du vendeur 21132

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: The Analysis of the Hunting Field; Being a Series of Sketches of the Principal Characters That Compose One. The Whole Forming a Slight Souvenir of the Season, 1845-6
• Éditeur: Rudolph Ackermann, London
• Date de parution: 1846
• Édition: First Edition.
• État de l'article: Very Good
• État de la jaquette: No Dust Jacket as Issued
• Poids: 5 livres
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • LITERATURE [Many Sub-Catagories]
  • FINE PRESS and BINDINGS