1724 -1806 · Equine anatomy, animal portraiture and British experimentation

Anatomical observation, individualized horses, exotic animals and compositions of sovereign clarity make George Stubbs much more than just a sports painter.

George Stubbs was born in Liverpool in 1724 into the family of a leather craftsman. His artistic training is largely independent. After a brief experience with the painter Hamlet Winstanley, he studied anatomy and provided illustrations for a treatise on obstetrics. This scientific curiosity reached its peak when he settled around 1756 on an isolated farm in Lincolnshire. For nearly eighteen months, Stubbs methodically dissected horses, suspended bodies in different positions and drew each muscular layer. Published on his own in 1766, The Anatomy of the Horse became a lasting reference. Published on his own in 1766, The Anatomy of the Horse became a lasting reference. Published on his own in 1766, The Anatomy of the Horse became a lasting reference. Published on his own in 1766, The Anatomy of the Horse became a lasting reference. Published on his own in 1766, The Anatomy of the Horse became a lasting reference. Published on his own in 1766, The Anatomy of the Horse became a lasting reference. Published on his own in 1766, The Anatomy of the Horse became owners and paints racehorses, mares, foals, dogs, hunters and estates. Whistlejacket presents a life-size stallion without rider or narrative setting: the silhouette, gaze and balance of the body are enough to produce a monumental presence. Mares and foals in a river landscape combine anatomical knowledge and group rhythm, each animal remaining individualized. Stubbs does not, however, limit his work to horses. Leopards, lions, rhinos, monkeys, elk and yaks bear witness to the circulation of animals in British menageries and collections. Horse frightened by a lion explores fear and conflict between species in a series close to the sublime. The Haymakers also showed his attention to rural work and human composition. An inventive technician, Stubbs experimented with enamel on copper and then on large ceramic plates produced with Josiah Wedgwood. He engraved his own compositions and constantly sought supports capable of preserving color. Died in 1806, Stubbs brought together anatomy, portrait, observation of living things and material experimentation in a work which renewed the very status of the animal in painting. Died in 1806, Stubbs brought together anatomy, portrait, observation of living things and material experimentation in a work which renewed the very status of the animal in painting. The "George Stubbs" selection notably compares Whistlejacket and Mare and Foal. His reading favors the story.

Stubbs does not treat the horse as an accessory to the owner: anatomy, gaze and posture make it a fully individual subject.