Going the Pace, from The Grand Steeplechase over Leicestershire Possibly 1830

Charles Bentley made this print, Going the Pace, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. It depicts a fox hunt in the English countryside, with riders in their distinctive garb racing across the landscape. The image is carefully composed to convey the excitement and danger of the chase. Fox hunting emerged as a popular pastime among the landed gentry in 18th and 19th century England, solidifying class divisions through highly ritualized activities. The hunt itself became a symbol of social status and power, with participants adhering to strict codes of dress and conduct. Prints like this one helped to popularize the hunt, celebrating it as an integral part of rural life. The Art Institute of Chicago, like many encyclopedic museums, acquired such prints to represent this aspect of British culture. To understand this image better, we can consult period sporting magazines, social histories of the English countryside, and institutional records of museums and galleries. Art, after all, always reflects its historical and institutional context.