'Stubbs. Portrait of a Horse' exhibition at The National Gallery

BGUK_3514966 - 12 March – 31 May 2026 The H J Hyams Room (Room 1) Admission free A monumental painting of a rearing horse will go on display this spring, in a new National Gallery exhibition devoted to George Stubbs (1724–1806). The only life-size horse portrait by Stubbs still in a private collection, and only once before seen on public display, Scrub, a bay horse belonging to the Marquess of Rockingham (about 1762) will be joined in the exhibition by other paintings and works on paper by the artist. Visitors will be able to draw comparisons with the artist’s masterpiece 'Whistlejacket' (about 1762) another horse owned by The Marquess of Rockingham. Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, was a keen collector of antique sculpture and active in horse breeding and horse racing. He became Prime Minister from 1765 to1766 and again briefly in 1782 just prior to his death. He was introduced to Stubbs likely through Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792). George Stubbs works photographed: - 'Dungannon, with a lamb.' (1793) - 'Scrub, a bay horse belonging to the Marquess of Rockingham' (circa 1762) - 'Mambrino' (1779–93) - Finished Study for 'The First Anatomical Table of the Muscles, Fascias, Ligaments, Nerves, Arteries, Veins, Glands, and Cartilages of a Horse' (1756-8) - Working drawing for 'The Twelfth Anatomical Table of the Muscles, Fascias, Ligaments, Nerves, Arteries, Veins, Glands, and Cartilages of a Horse' (1756-8) - Finished Study for 'The Tenth Anatomical Table of the Muscles, Fascias, Ligaments, Nerves, Arteries, Veins, Glands, and Cartilages of a Horse' (1756-8) - Working drawing of the Blood Vessels for 'The First Anatomical Table of the Muscles, Fascias, Ligaments, Nerves, Arteries, Veins, Glands, and Cartilages of a Horse' (1756-8) - The Anatomy Of The Horse. Including A particular Description of the Bones, Cartilages, Muscles, Fascias, Ligaments, Nerves, Arteries, Veins, and Glands. In Eighteen Tables, all done from Nature. (1766) - Finished study for 'The Eleventh Anatomical Table f the Muscles, Fascias, Ligaments, Nerves, Arteries, Veins, Glands, and Cartilages of a Horse' (1756-8)