Full Article Text
The Greatest
George Stubbs re-emerges as
the finest painter of horses.
By Michael Giltz
BRITISH PAINTER George Stubbs
(1724-1806) was blessed and cursed with
the ability and desire to paint animals, es-
pecially horses. His talent made him both
rich and famous in his lifetime, though
he was ignored at the end of his days and
relatively obscure for many years after his
death. How could paintings of mere ani-
mals be important? More strikes against
him: Stubbs was a British painter when
the Italians and others garnered far more
study and attention. Finally most of his
paintings were commissioned by landed
gentry and aristocrats who wanted paint-
ings of their most beloved animals. Quite
simply, they loved the paintings and the
works remained within the families for'
generations. Thus, the many great works
by Stubbs simply were unavailable for
public view.Today, Stubbs is recognized as "the
most accomplished and engaging painter
of animals in the history of Western art,"
according to George Stubbs: A Celebration,
a catalog published by the Frick Collec-
tion in NewYork, where 17 works by
Stubbs fiom British coUections are now
on display. (Remarkably, this is the first
showing for Stubbs in NewYork.) Also
just out is George Stubbs, Painterby ludy
Egerton (Yaie University Press), the first
complete catalog of Stubbs's work.
Denise Allen, an associate curator at
the Frick, is intrigued by Stubbs's outsider
status, both in defending his choice of
subject matter and in his approach to art.
"He became a painter and trained as a
painter before there was an academic pro-
gram set up that defined what the train-
ing should be," details Allen. "So Stubbs
had a much broader view of what an
artistt training should encompass and
what were worthy subjects. Aaimal paint-
ings were as important to him as history
paintings."
The emergence of Stubbs also dove,
tailed with a new insight into the animal
world. "Stubbs's portraits of irorses coin-
cide rvith the time when natiual scientistswere beginning to think that animals ac-
tuaily do have a personality, an individual
character," continues Allen. "So Stubbs's
ability to fcapture] the individual charac-
ter of, say, a horse and aiso its state of
mind is part of his time. But he did it bet-
ter than anybody else."
Indeed, look closely at his work and
vou will discover not iust an anatomical
exactness that is remarkable, but an emo-
tional attention both to the animals and
their surroundings."In Molly Longlegs, he
mzrnages to shou-just by characterizing
the horse itself-that she's finished her
exercise because her veins are firll and her
ears are flipped back arrd her eyes are
rolling and her tongue is hanging out a
bit. She's panting," notes Allen.
His attention to detail-which led to
Stubbs's being pilloried as a mere
anatomist-is revealed in striking flow-
irtg manes, in the genuine intelligence
and awareness of all the animals he
painted and other less obvious impres-
sions. Aly lover of riding and competi-
tion will see the seemingly placid Nerv-
market Heath With A Rubbing-Down
House and immediateiy sense how
Stubbs captured the erpectant hush of a
racetracl< before an event.
Sorne of the paintings include the
name of the horses emblazoned on them,
even though Stubbs himself often didn't
sign his works. Adds A-llen, "The owner
probably asked for that. We know, for in-
stance, that some of the horse portraits
were done the year the horse was retired
from racing. So they were portraits that
commemorated the horse's career and
also announced they were on the market
for breeding."
Quiet study is rewarded with Stubbs as
with all great painters. The insouciant
groom in A Grey Hunter with a Groom and
a Greyhound at Creswell Crags is amusing;
the fear and shock inA HorseFrightened
by a Lion is almost visceral, and the sense
of being in the presence of creatures that
demand and deserve our attention re-
mains constant throughout his works.
"He did vary his subject matter and he
did attempt to do history painting from
time to time," concludes Allen. "But he
never lost sight of his own talent." OA Horse Frightened by a Lion,1770, Oil on canvas, (40" x 50"),
National Museums Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery
q1o1 crncul 64 s ;rur zro.r
George Stubbs re-emerges as
the finest painter of horses.
By Michael Giltz
BRITISH PAINTER George Stubbs
(1724-1806) was blessed and cursed with
the ability and desire to paint animals, es-
pecially horses. His talent made him both
rich and famous in his lifetime, though
he was ignored at the end of his days and
relatively obscure for many years after his
death. How could paintings of mere ani-
mals be important? More strikes against
him: Stubbs was a British painter when
the Italians and others garnered far more
study and attention. Finally most of his
paintings were commissioned by landed
gentry and aristocrats who wanted paint-
ings of their most beloved animals. Quite
simply, they loved the paintings and the
works remained within the families for'
generations. Thus, the many great works
by Stubbs simply were unavailable for
public view.Today, Stubbs is recognized as "the
most accomplished and engaging painter
of animals in the history of Western art,"
according to George Stubbs: A Celebration,
a catalog published by the Frick Collec-
tion in NewYork, where 17 works by
Stubbs fiom British coUections are now
on display. (Remarkably, this is the first
showing for Stubbs in NewYork.) Also
just out is George Stubbs, Painterby ludy
Egerton (Yaie University Press), the first
complete catalog of Stubbs's work.
Denise Allen, an associate curator at
the Frick, is intrigued by Stubbs's outsider
status, both in defending his choice of
subject matter and in his approach to art.
"He became a painter and trained as a
painter before there was an academic pro-
gram set up that defined what the train-
ing should be," details Allen. "So Stubbs
had a much broader view of what an
artistt training should encompass and
what were worthy subjects. Aaimal paint-
ings were as important to him as history
paintings."
The emergence of Stubbs also dove,
tailed with a new insight into the animal
world. "Stubbs's portraits of irorses coin-
cide rvith the time when natiual scientistswere beginning to think that animals ac-
tuaily do have a personality, an individual
character," continues Allen. "So Stubbs's
ability to fcapture] the individual charac-
ter of, say, a horse and aiso its state of
mind is part of his time. But he did it bet-
ter than anybody else."
Indeed, look closely at his work and
vou will discover not iust an anatomical
exactness that is remarkable, but an emo-
tional attention both to the animals and
their surroundings."In Molly Longlegs, he
mzrnages to shou-just by characterizing
the horse itself-that she's finished her
exercise because her veins are firll and her
ears are flipped back arrd her eyes are
rolling and her tongue is hanging out a
bit. She's panting," notes Allen.
His attention to detail-which led to
Stubbs's being pilloried as a mere
anatomist-is revealed in striking flow-
irtg manes, in the genuine intelligence
and awareness of all the animals he
painted and other less obvious impres-
sions. Aly lover of riding and competi-
tion will see the seemingly placid Nerv-
market Heath With A Rubbing-Down
House and immediateiy sense how
Stubbs captured the erpectant hush of a
racetracl< before an event.
Sorne of the paintings include the
name of the horses emblazoned on them,
even though Stubbs himself often didn't
sign his works. Adds A-llen, "The owner
probably asked for that. We know, for in-
stance, that some of the horse portraits
were done the year the horse was retired
from racing. So they were portraits that
commemorated the horse's career and
also announced they were on the market
for breeding."
Quiet study is rewarded with Stubbs as
with all great painters. The insouciant
groom in A Grey Hunter with a Groom and
a Greyhound at Creswell Crags is amusing;
the fear and shock inA HorseFrightened
by a Lion is almost visceral, and the sense
of being in the presence of creatures that
demand and deserve our attention re-
mains constant throughout his works.
"He did vary his subject matter and he
did attempt to do history painting from
time to time," concludes Allen. "But he
never lost sight of his own talent." OA Horse Frightened by a Lion,1770, Oil on canvas, (40" x 50"),
National Museums Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery
q1o1 crncul 64 s ;rur zro.r