The Spree at Melton Mowbray c. 1837

Curator: At first glance, the frenetic lines suggest chaos and disorder. Editor: Indeed. We’re looking at Henry Thomas Alken's "The Spree at Melton Mowbray," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Alken, born in 1785, was known for his sporting scenes. Curator: The composition is interesting. The architectural framework of the buildings provides a stark contrast to the pandemonium erupting in the street. The use of line directs the viewer’s eye toward the figures scaling the building, an intriguing focal point. Editor: That visual disruption, I think, speaks volumes about class dynamics and the performative excesses of leisure within that specific time and place. Melton Mowbray was, and still is, renowned for fox hunting; the sketch, though seemingly whimsical, might actually be critiquing the aristocratic culture of excess and revelry. Curator: Perhaps. Still, the line work itself has a certain elegance, don’t you think? Editor: The raw energy is undeniable, but I am drawn to its implied socio-political context. Curator: A fascinating duality to consider.