‘George Stubbs’ by William H. Craft, 1775 (Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection)Arts Society, Isle of Wight, will be presenting the latest lecture of its season by Christopher Garibaldi at Northwood House, Cowes on animal painter George Stubbs on Tuesday 7th May. This lecture looks at the life and work of this country’s greatest animal painter, putting Stubbs in the context of British sporting artists of the 18th century more generally. It focusses on his depiction of equestrian subjects such as the National Gallery’s Whistlejacket but also looks at the broader themes he addressed. Many art historians and critics have compared the work of Stubbs to that of Leonardo da Vinci, one even christening him the ‘Leonardo of Liverpool’ to reflect his humble origins as the son of a Liverpool leatherworker. The comparison can seem hubristic until one considers the intense scientific method and investigation that lay behind the production by Stubbs of his world-famous Anatomy of the Horse published in 1766 – a work which revolutionised the understanding and depiction of equine subjects. George Stubbs (1724-1806), The Anatomy of the Horse, Including a Particular Description of the Bones, Cartilages, Muscles, Fascias, Ligaments, Nerves, Arteries, Veins, and Glands, London: Henry G. Bohn, 1853, engravings. Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection This lecture looks at the life and work of this country’s greatest animal painter, putting Stubbs in the context of British sporting artists of the 18th century more generally. It focusses on his depiction of equestrian subjects such as the National Gallery’s Whistlejacket but also looks at the broader themes he addressed. Christopher Garibaldi was the Director of Palace House, Newmarket (National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art: www.palacehousenewmarket.co.uk from 2008 to 2010. He has also catalogued the silver in the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and other royal residences. There are places for visitors at all lectures for £10 per person but booking must be made in advance to [email protected] Find out more about the society and details of all the season’s lectures at www.theartssocietyisleofwight.org.uk. Most Lectures are now also broadcast on Zoom for members who for some reason cannot attend in person.
