Three Riders Fall from their Mounts 1780 - 1820

Henry William Bunbury created this watercolor and etching, "Three Riders Fall from their Mounts," likely around the late 1700s in England. Bunbury’s artwork presents a caricature of a fox hunt gone awry. This scene reflects the social rituals of the British gentry, for whom hunting was a display of status and leisure. The exaggerated expressions and chaotic scene poke fun at the pretensions of the upper class, turning a symbol of their privilege into a moment of public humiliation. The print medium allowed these images to circulate widely, reaching audiences beyond the aristocratic circles they satirized. To fully understand Bunbury's art, we look to sources such as period newspapers and social commentaries. These resources help us to understand the changing attitudes toward class and leisure in late 18th-century Britain, illustrating how art engages with the social dynamics of its time.