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Stubbs & the Horse
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 colorful 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.
Taking full account of the associations and status of the “noble horse” in eighteenth-century Britain and the colorful 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.
- GenresNonfiction
248 pages, Hardcover
First published October 11, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
July 1, 2024
This book is in no way a comprehensive look at the art of George Stubbs. This is just a look at the works of a Stubbs exhibition that did a three city world tour in 2004. It also discusses works that may have inspired Stubbs and works inspired by Stubbs.
This is heavily illustrated with color and black and white illustrations. The highlights of the exhibition were Stubbs' drawings for his landmark book, The Anatomy of the Horse. Less than 40 Stubbs drawings survive. The drawings are so rare that only some could be shown at each gallery in the exhibition tour.
For someone who admired horses as much as Stubbs (and his clients), I was surprised to learn that Stubbs bled horses to death in order to dissect them. I had a Stubbs book in my wayward youth, but can't remember if that was mentioned.
You do need to know a little about English history, painting, and Thoroughbred racing basics in order to fully understand what's going on. For example, if you don't know what the Grand Tour is, or why horses were shown with such short tails, you might be a bit lost.
Art exhibition catalogs can be a tedious read, since they tend to repeat themselves. This one is no exception. They seem to be traditionally organized to go through every item in the catalog at least twice.
The book also suffers from having a few authors that apparently didn't read the other contributions. For example, one of the essayists didnt get the memo on the exhibition title, Stubbs and the Horse, since his essay was on Stubbs' human portraits. The art world is notorious for disagreements. It makes for a bit of a headache when you read the whole thing in one go.
There are some, way too brief, looks on how horses were considered and treated in Stubbs' day. There is also the usual discussion of the "flying" position of galloping horses shown in paintings before photography came about.
It also includes an extensive bibliography. Be sure to check out the notes, as these sometimes provide little extra details not mentioned in the text.
This is heavily illustrated with color and black and white illustrations. The highlights of the exhibition were Stubbs' drawings for his landmark book, The Anatomy of the Horse. Less than 40 Stubbs drawings survive. The drawings are so rare that only some could be shown at each gallery in the exhibition tour.
For someone who admired horses as much as Stubbs (and his clients), I was surprised to learn that Stubbs bled horses to death in order to dissect them. I had a Stubbs book in my wayward youth, but can't remember if that was mentioned.
You do need to know a little about English history, painting, and Thoroughbred racing basics in order to fully understand what's going on. For example, if you don't know what the Grand Tour is, or why horses were shown with such short tails, you might be a bit lost.
Art exhibition catalogs can be a tedious read, since they tend to repeat themselves. This one is no exception. They seem to be traditionally organized to go through every item in the catalog at least twice.
The book also suffers from having a few authors that apparently didn't read the other contributions. For example, one of the essayists didnt get the memo on the exhibition title, Stubbs and the Horse, since his essay was on Stubbs' human portraits. The art world is notorious for disagreements. It makes for a bit of a headache when you read the whole thing in one go.
There are some, way too brief, looks on how horses were considered and treated in Stubbs' day. There is also the usual discussion of the "flying" position of galloping horses shown in paintings before photography came about.
It also includes an extensive bibliography. Be sure to check out the notes, as these sometimes provide little extra details not mentioned in the text.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review