Lot Essay
Malcolm Fleming of Barochan (1745-1819) was a descendant of a Scottish family famous for their association with falconry. The present work relates to a picture, painted by Howe in 1811 (private collection, Scotland) of which a number of versions are recorded. The picture was engraved by Charles Turner in 1816 and subsequently became one of the best-known images of falconry. The composition depicts Fleming out hawking on horseback, attended by his head falconer, John Anderson (d.1833) and assistant falconer, George Harvey. Anderson stands with a cast of tiercel on his fist while Harvey is seated with another cast of peregrines. Barochan Tower is visible in the distance.