![A Lion [A Lion resting on a Rock] by George Stubbs](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0833/9292/1935/files/artwork-george-stubbs-a-lion-a-lion-resting-on-a-rock.jpg?width=480)
![A Lion [A recumbent Lion] by George Stubbs](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0833/9292/1935/files/artwork-george-stubbs-a-lion-a-recumbent-lion.jpg?width=480)
Stubbs painted a horse being attacked by a lion and it became the most reproduced image in eighteenth-century British art. He painted the subject at least seventeen times. He had never seen a lion attack a horse. He had seen a classical sculpture of the subject in Rome and decided it was worth repeating.
Key facts
- Lived
- 1724–1806, British
- Movement
- Works held in
- 43 museums[1]
Biography
He was born in Liverpool, the son of a currier (a leather worker). He was largely self-taught. In his twenties he spent eighteen months in a farmhouse in Horkstow, Lincolnshire, dissecting horses. He suspended the carcasses from the ceiling using hooks and pulleys, peeled back the layers of skin and muscle, and drew every stage. The results were published as The Anatomy of the Horse (1766), one of the most accurate anatomical studies ever produced by an artist. The book established his reputation.
His horse portraits are commissioned works: wealthy landowners wanted their racehorses painted. Stubbs obliged, but his understanding of equine anatomy gave the paintings a presence that other sporting painters could not match. Whistlejacket, a life-size portrait of a chestnut stallion rearing against a plain background, is among the most striking animal paintings ever made. There is no landscape, no rider, no context. Just the horse.
He also painted dogs, exotic animals (a zebra, a rhinoceros, a moose), and rural scenes with labourers and haymakers. He experimented with enamel painting on ceramic tablets made by Josiah Wedgwood. He was elected to the Royal Academy but refused to submit a diploma piece, which meant he was never made a full Academician. He died in 1806, at eighty-one.
Timeline
- 1765Painted "Gimcrack on Newmarket Heath, with a Trainer, a Stable-Lad, and a Jockey".
- 1766Painted "Frontal view of the skeleton of a horse, study No. 10 from 'The Anatomy of the Horse'".
- 1776Painted "Sir John Nelthorpe, 6th Baronet out Shooting with his Dogs in Barton Field, Lincolnshire".
- 1785Painted "Park Phaeton with a Pair of Cream Pontes in Charge of a Stable Lad with a Dog".
- 1793Painted "Dungannon, the Property of Colonel OKelly, Painted in a Paddock with a Sheep".
- 1800Painted "Freeman, the Earl of Clarendon's Gamekeeper, With a Dying Doe and Hound".
Notable Works
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Where to See George Stubbs
30 museums worldwide.
-
10 works
National Gallery
Trafalgar Square, United Kingdom
Related Artists
Frequently Asked Questions
George stubbs facts?
George Stubbs earned an unrivalled reputation. He is known for capturing minutely observed details, such as the tail hairs and hooves, the individual colouring of each horse, and the delicately painted leaves of the oak tree, with remarkable accuracy.How did george stubbs die?
George Stubbs died in 1806 at the age of 82.What did george stubbs paint?
George Stubbs painted horses and foliage. He is known for faithfully and delicately reproducing the horses and the foliage above them.Where was george stubbs born?
George Stubbs was born in 1724 in United the United Kingdom and Ireland. George Stubbs died in 1806, aged 82.Who is george stubbs?
George Stubbs is considered the best animal painter of the 18th century. He rendered his animal paintings with scientific accuracy, and he also sought to represent exotic animals and often imbue them with human emotions.Who was george stubbs?
George Stubbs is considered the best animal painter of the 18th century. He was born in Liverpool, and he was the son of a merchant.Why did george stubbs paint horses?
Wealthy landowners commissioned horse portraits, so George Stubbs painted them. His understanding of equine anatomy gave the paintings a presence that other sporting painters could not match.What is george stubbs famous for?
George Stubbs earned an unrivalled reputation. He is known for capturing minutely observed details, such as the tail hairs and hooves, the individual colouring of each horse, and the delicately painted leaves of the oak tree, with remarkable accuracy.Where did george stubbs live?
George Stubbs was born in Liverpool. He also spent eighteen months in a farmhouse in Horkstow, Lincolnshire.George stubbs is largely known for painting?
George Stubbs is largely known for painting horses and foliage. He is known for faithfully and delicately reproducing the horses and the foliage above them.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for George Stubbs.
- [1] museum Ascott House Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Government Art Collection Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum National Galleries Scotland Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Down House Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum Weston Park Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum Museum of Fine Arts Boston Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] book Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author, Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author - The Art Book_ New Edition, Mini Format Used for: biography.
- [8] book Allison Lee Palmer, Historical Dictionary of Neoclassical Art and Architecture Used for: biography.
- [9] book Masterpieces of western art : a history of art in 900 individual studies from the Gothic to the present day Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-31. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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