William Giller after Richard Barrett Davis

Fox Hounds Running in Covert

16 x 13

Mezzotint engraving by William Giller after R. B. Davis and published in London in 1829 (or possibly the reissue of 1833.

This smashing print flips the standard hunting image on its end by concentrating on the hounds rather than the huntsmen. The dogs are careering across the foreground in eager pursuit of the fox whilst the huntsmen and horses can only just be seen in the background, emerging through the trees. By entering the covert (a thicket), the hunt is, literally, being 'out foxed' as the horses will experience great difficulty in continuing the chase. The hounds are all marked with the letter 'B' suggesting that they belong to something like the Beaufort Hunt.

The artist after whose work this print is taken was himself an occasional huntsman, most notably to the harriers of King George III. He would often follow the hunt at Windsor, proceeding on foot with his sketchbook to hand. His pictures consequently have all the energy of first hand observation and are more realistic in their rendition than some of the more formulaic hunting scenes of his contemporaries.

£650