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Note: Alfred Clarence Alais inherited the engraving skills of his father. His first big success "Bolted" from a painting by William Cotting, came in 1877. His second recognized engraving was published in 1878 "A Run for the Market" after a painting by Rosa Bonheur. In 1879 it was a portrait of a young Duke of Rutland on his shooting pony after a work of Francis Grant. In 1880 there seems to have begun the association with the works of Edwin Landseer that was really to bring his nbame into some prominence. He provided plates for the Library Edition of "The Works of Modern Artists" which included works by Landseer and Edwin Douglas, and also plates for the Library Edition of "The Works of sir Edwin Landseer", including the famous Monarch of the Glen and Queen Victoria in the Highlands. These editions were obviously popular for the painting run was large enough to justify the production of four plates of each painting. Alfred was quite versatile. He used the English line, mezzotint and stipple methods. Most of his work was published by Henry Graves, but he was himself a member of the Print Sellers Association and registered a nuber of plates on his own behalf. In 1881 he exibited an engraving "Winter Quarters" after Frank Paton, in the Royal Academy Exibition. Alfred kept company with a lot of distinguished artistic people. In a "Directory of Victorian Engravers" by Ronald G. Engen, there is a list of 55 engravings done by Alfred Clarence Alais.
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