George Stubbs

George Stubbs is well remembered for his paintings of animals and anatomical studies,such as Anatomy of a Horse, begun in 1758 and published in 1766. In his early years he had pursued a career as a portrait painter, traveling in the towns of northern England, but after his move to London in 1759 he attracted many commissions for racehorses and hunters, dogs and hunting scenes. His early patrons included the Duke of Richmond, the Marquess of Rockingham, Earl Spencer, and the Duke of Grafton. Stubbs would have preferred to be recognized for his work in portraiture. However, he couldn't escape the well established associations with his work on animals. He begins to add genre paintings such as The Reapers and The Haymakers. He shows these paintings at the Royal Academy of Arts in London in 1786. Stubbs had been largely self taught and throughout his career investigated a number of techniques for painting and printmaking. He learned etching and engraving for the anatomical studies and made large mezzotint copies of The Reapers and The Haymakers. In the 1780's he experimented with enamel. He worked with Josiah Wedgwood making large pottery plaques on which the enamel process could be used. He used this technique in portraits of Wedgwood and his family. He was further influenced by the classical themes in the Wedgwood ceramics. From 1795 until his death in 1806, Stubbs worked on the sequel to Anatomy of a Horse. A Comparative Anatomical Exposition of the Human Body with that of a Tiger and a Common Fowl was an ambitious endeavor which caused him some financial hardship. The majority of the 142 drawings were sold at Christies in 1827. The completed engravings were published in 1817.

George Stubbs Images:
A Couple of Foxhounds
A Spaniel in a Landscape
Bay Horse and White Dog
Eclipse with Mr. Wildman & His Sons
Firetail With His Trainer On Newmarket Heath
Gimcrack, With John Pratt Upon New Market Heath
Green Pastures (A Family Group)
Grey Stallion with Mares and Foals
King Charles Spaniel
Portrait of the Royal Tiger
Rosaletta
Whistlejacket