George Stubbs, of course, is famous for his horse paintings, but his dog portraits and scenes are equally impeccable, desirable, and sought after. This 1984 hardback edition with a glossy dustjacket, brings to readers an extensive history of Stubbs’ canine achievements with many reproduced in colour, and dozens more in black and white.
The book is well laid out and enthralling, but the finesse of Stubbs’ paintbrush is the master stroke of the publication. Fountain and Gates give comprehensive historical overview, with the contents ranging from discussing Painters of Dogs, Stubbs’ background, life, and career, Dogs in History with chapters dedicated to 18th century England, Foxhound and Staghounds, Pointers, Greyhounds, Water Dogs, Spaniels and Setters, Spitz family, Dingo, and miscellaneous breeds, and at the end is a superb catalgoue with a description, any recorded exhibitions of the painting or references to the painting.
THE COLOUR PLATES
Sixteen colour plates are included:
A dapple grey hunter with two foxhounds beside a lake
Five staghounds in a landscape
John Musters of Colwick and the Rev Philip Storey of Lockington
The Spanish Pointer / Phyllis a Pointer of Lord Clermont
Robert Edward 9th Lord Petre shooting / Sir John Nelthorpe out shooting with two Pointers
Hounds coursing a stag
Robert 10th Lord Petre out coursing
White Poodle in a punt
A Water Spaniel (which is a barbet style white dog)
Faddle a Spaniel (which is a black and white English Springer type)
Spaniel retrieving a woodcock (which is a liver and white English Springer type)
a lemon and white Spaniel (which is a Clumber Spaniel type)
A brown and white King Charles Spaniel in a wooded landscape (Blenheim Cavalier)
Dog and butterfly (the dog is a small white spitz with no apparent markings and black nose)
A dog property of the Earl of Chatham (a docked Pointer type of type, may be a European HPR breed)
A rough dog (a grey Barbet style of dog in a pseudo lion trim)