Between Heats [The Course]

Publisher S. W. Fores British

January 1, 1799

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

Title: Between Heats [The Course]
Series/Portfolio: Racing Series (1789?; reissued with additions 1798-99)
Artist: Thomas Rowlandson (British, London 1757–1827 London)
Publisher: S. W. Fores (London)
Date: January 1, 1799
Medium: Hand-colored etching and aquatint
Dimensions: Sheet: 10 3/16 × 13 3/4 in. (25.8 × 35 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
Object Number: 59.533.1700
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

By Thomas Rowlandson

In the same medium

From the same time and place

The Devil's Darling, Thomas Rowlandson British, Etching, hand colored — The Devil's Darling
Thomas Rowlandson
Publisher Rudolph Ackermann, London
Subject Napoléon Bonaparte
March 12, 1814

Gamba Bow, Wood, British — Gamba Bow
British
first half 18th century

Woman Bathing (La Toilette), Mary Cassatt American, Drypoint and aquatint, printed in color from three plates; fourth state of four (Mathews & Shapiro) — Woman Bathing (La Toilette)
Mary Cassatt
Printer Jointly printed by the artist and Monsieur LeRoy
1890–91

Desire (Le Brun Travested, or Caricatures of the Passions), Thomas Rowlandson British, Etching, printed in brown ink — Desire (Le Brun Travested, or Caricatures of the Passions)
Etcher Thomas Rowlandson
After George Murgatroyd Woodward
Publisher Rudolph Ackermann, London
January 20, 1800

Alto Recorder, Joseph Bradbury British, Wood, ivory, British — Alto Recorder
Joseph Bradbury
ca. 1700

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.