George Stubbs, 1724-1806

Stubbs is one of the most original and searching of all animal painters, whether his subject is a brood-mare, a monkey, or a poodle in a punt. For too long undervalued as "Mr Stubbs the Horse Painter", he is now recognized as an equal of Gainsborough and Reynolds in the foremost rank of British art. His searching eye made him a perceptive portrayer of human beings too, and the class distinctions of 18th-century England are dissected with the same clarity as the anatomy of a horse. Above all, Stubbs is a master of design, able to translate faithful observations from nature into unforgettable images. This reprint of the 1984 exhibition catalogue reproduces in colour all the works shown, and enlarges many details which illuminate the artist's technique.