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Between Heats [The Course]

Publisher J. Harris British
Subject Dennis O'Kelly Irish
January 1, 1798
Not on view
Eighteenth-century English horse races often consisted of several heats and this scene shows a break between two. The pause of about an hour allowed the horses to rest, and offered opportunities for spectators to enjoy entertainments. Here, tents pitched near a grandstand shelter dancers, a roulette wheel and offer refreshments. A stout man with crutches bemoaning a lost bet is the famous thoroughbred owner Dennis O'Kelly. The print comes from a group by Rowlandson devoted to moments in horse racing--interestingly none shows a finish. When first published around 1789, the titles were "The Mount," "The Start," "The Betting Post," and "The Course." The present example comes from an expanded reissue of 1798-99 with titles altered to "Mounting" (59.533.1697), "Racing" (59.533.1694), "Betting" (59.533.1695), with "Between Heats" (59.533.514, 59.533.1700), and "Weighing" (59.533.1696) and "Running out of the Course" (59.533.1698) added.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Between Heats [The Course]
  • Series/Portfolio: Racing Series (1789?; reissued with additions 1798-99)
  • Artist: Thomas Rowlandson (British, London 1757–1827 London)
  • Publisher: J. Harris (British, ca. 1740–1811)
  • Subject: Dennis O'Kelly (Irish, Connaught 1725–1787 London)
  • Date: January 1, 1798
  • Medium: Hand-colored etching and aquatint
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 10 7/8 × 14 1/4 in. (27.6 × 36.2 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
  • Object Number: 59.533.514
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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