Going the Pace, from The Grand Steeplechase over Leicestershire
published 1830
Medium
Color aquatint on paper
Dimensions
Image: 25.5 × 36.3 cm (10 1/16 × 14 5/16 in.); Plate: 36 × 45 cm (14 3/16 × 17 3/4 in.); Sheet: 40.5 × 50 cm (16 × 19 11/16 in.)
Classification
aquatint
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
90787
Art Historical Context
"Going the Pace, from Grand Steeplechase Leicestershire" is a color aquatint by British artist Charles Bentley, published 1830. This captures the high-energy drama of a steeplechase race across the English countryside, showcasing Bentley's skill in depicting equestrian action. Part of a series celebrating the sport's excitement, it immerses viewers in the muddy fields and leaping horses of Leicestershire, a hub for fox hunting and racing in early 19th-century Britain. Aquatint, Bentley's favored medium, revolutionized printmaking by allowing rich tonal gradations and watercolor-like colors th...