LONDON—English artist George Stubbs painted a stallion so true to life that, as you approach, you can almost catch a whiff of him as he rears and tosses his mane. He’s a tower of strength, on high alert. And he’s not happy. His nostrils flare and his eyes bulge as he pulls his head back full of fear, or perhaps in a display of dominance. It’s a wild moment to witness, and there’s no sense in the painting of what will happen next.
“Whistlejacket,” circa 1762, by George Stubbs. Oil on canvas; 116 5/8 inches by 97 5/8 inches. The National Gallery, London. (The National Gallery, London)
My instincts make me want to step back to a safe distance in The National Gallery, London, but Stubbs’s expert painting, “Whistlejacket,” demands close attention. I wonder how Stubbs (1724–1806) created each hand of this near-life-size, Arabian thoroughbred from its silky mane and velvet, chestnut coat to the tiny veins on his flank that show just how much the stallion’s muscles contract.
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