Stubbs and the Horse - Hardcover

This handsome book celebrates the central subject in the work of George Stubbs-- considered by many to be the greatest painter of horses in the history of art--and offers fresh interpretations of the wide range of equine imagery created by this versatile eighteenth-century artist.

A versatile genius whose oeuvre includes paintings, engravings, and detailed anatomical studies, George Stubbs (1724-1806) was fascinated by horses. This handsome book presents for the first time the wide range of his equine imagery, from refined portraits of racehorses to violent scenes of horses attacked by lions in the wild. Taking full account of the associations and status of the "noble horse" in eighteenth-century Britain and the colourful world of its devotees - both high and low - the authors examine Stubbs's work from different points of view and offer many fresh interpretations. Malcolm Warner discusses how horses were regarded in Britain in Stubbs's time, the unexpected connection between his horse-and-lion compositions and the creation of the English thoroughbred, and his classicism. Robin Blake examines the young Whig noblemen who were Stubbs's first patrons, the grooms, jockeys, trainers, and other attendants who appear in his horse portraits, and his curious dealings with the Prince of Wales. The book also includes an essay by conservators Lance Mayer and Gay Myers on Stubbs's experiments with wax and enamel. For admirers of Stubbs's art, eighteenth-century English painting, and horses, this book is an essential addition to their bookshelves. Stubbs and the Horse is the catalogue for the first major exhibition on the artist in more than twenty years. It is on view at the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth (November 14, 2004, to February 6, 2005); the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (March 13 to May 29, 2005); and the National Gallery, London (June 29 to September 25, 2005).