A VERY RARELY AVAILABLE FABULOUS SET OF 4 ORIGINAL 1852 AQUATINT ENGRAVINGS FROM A PAINTING BY J.F.HERRING Snr., ENGRAVED BY J.HARRIS, AND PUBLISHED BY MESSRS. FORES, 41 PICCADILLY, LONDON.

These pictures are absolutely stunning, the colours are vibrant and they have been re-framed with dark wood frames and are fully glazed. They are huge, each picture measures 56" wide x 35" deep. Please be careful to ensure you have a space large enough to feature all 4. The pictures are rather difficult to photograph as they are glazed, any prospective purchaser is very welcome to inspect them in person. They are original 1852 and contain the poems alongside the titles, as featured in the book by Oliver Beckett "J F Herring & Sons" pages 161, and illustrated on pages 168-169 Plates 111-114 :
1. The Meet
2. The Find
3. The Run
4. The Kill

I am a minor collector of Herring's work but unfortunately these are too large for my house and are ideally suited to a large country house, barn, loft or public building. It is very rare to find a complete original set, in fact I know of only two in the last five years, one being at Meopham Park where Herring spent the last twelve years of his life. This 4 set collection was purchased by the current owners from a London dealer  for over twice the price of this listing. Single ones are occasionally available, in fact I saw one in France at Trouville last week-end, but none have been in such outstanding condition as these. Some background information on the artist and engraver:

John Frederick Herring Snr. 1795-1865
He was the son of a London merchant of Dutch parentage. John Frederick Herring spent the first 18 years of his life in London and showed great interest in drawing horses. In 1814 he moved to Doncaster and was much influenced by Doncaster racecourse and the winners of the Classic horse race the St. Leger.He married Ann Harris in 1815 and his sons John Frederick Herring Jnr (Fred), Charles and Benjamin all became artists, and his daughters Ann and Emma both married artists!

In Doncaster Herring earned his living as a coach painter and driver of a coach and horses to London. At this time he obtained commissions to paint well known owners hunters and racehorses, and later produced series of Classic winners both as original oil paintings and as engravings.

In 1830 Herring moved to Newmarket for three years before moving to London. At this time he commissioned many paintings for production on Copeland Spode bone china. He travelled to Europe in 1840-41 and visited Paris by invitation of the Duc d'Orleans, for whom he painted several pictures. In 1815 he received royal patronage from the HRH the Duchess of Kent and later from Queen Victoria.

After tiring of London life where he was somewhat beset upon by all and sundry, he took up the life of a country squire at Meopham Park, near Tonbridge, half a mile as the crow flies from where I am typing this entry. He broadened his output from racehorses, and hunting, (this series were published just before he moved to Kent in 1852), to farmyard scenes of idylic England.He died in 1865 and is buried in Hildenborough churchyard.

J.Harris
An engraver of the highest repute, producing sporting and maratime prints after works of various prominent artists. The publisher Rudolph Ackermann (1764-1834) pioneered lithography in Britain and aquatints became a superior version.

The auction prices are for the full set of 4 and I am reluctant to split them as they are so rarely found together.

They are very heavy and are for collection only.