Gem Patrick SuyatDavidsonHumanities24 August 2014George StubbsOne of the most famous painters of England, George Stubbs was primarily an animal artist who painted horses, dogs, monkeys, rhinoceros, tigers, lions and giraffes. A highly skilled draughtsman and animalier, he spent much of his life studying equine anatomy, and his book on the subject Anatomy of the Horse (1766) brought him an international scientific reputation. Stubbs was equally successful when painting on a large scale as on a small, and his largest piece of equestrian art, Hambletonian beating Diamond ...view middle of the document...
Other famous works include Whistle jacket; Mares and Foals in a Landscape and Cheetah with Two Indian Attendants and a Stag. Stubbs was 'rediscovered' in the 20th century, after his work had languished for many years in private collections. Now regarded as one of the best English painter of the eighteenth century. Stubbs was born in Liverpool in 1724. His background was not particularly wealthy, his father worked with leather, and Stubbs received little formal education. Despite this he discovered drawing at an early age and used to sketch animals in his local district. Information is scarce about his activities until he was 35. He appears to have developed a talent for portraiture and received some tuition from local portrait artist Hamlet Winstanley, an assistant to Sir Godfrey Kneller.Stubbs early career as a portrait painter took him to local towns, Leeds, York and Hull. Stubbs was interested, like many of the Renaissance masters, in extending his knowledge of anatomy, both in humans and animals. He made countless sketches and studies of both, learning the skills of his trade by observation. By 1751 his reputation was established enough to give private anatomy lessons to medical students. This lead to an illustration he made for a medical book on midwifery by Dr John Burton. He also studied etching, and was able to etch the plates for the book himself.