Q&A: Portrait of a self-taught artist
Last Updated: June 16, 2011
Who was George Stubbs? Born in Liverpool in 1724, he was a self-taught English artist who also spent a large amount of his time dissecting horses.
Dissecting horses? Yes, Stubbs published a book called The anatomy of the Horse with many intricate drawings. It is believed to have taken him 18 months in a farmhouse in Lincolnshire to produce the book. As an expert painter of horses, Stubbs was viewed by many at the time as a one-trick pony and not a true artist.
That must have changed though, if one of his paintings is now being auctioned for£20 million (Dh119.5m)? In the early 20th century, his painting began to gain recognition, particular among enthusiasts of sporting paintings. One of his most famous works is Whistlejacket, a painting of the Marquess of Rockingham's racehorse of the same name, an Arabian thoroughbred. The Rockingham family retained the painting until 1997, when the National Gallery in London acquired it for £11m.
One of the world's most famous sporting paintings is set to go under the hammer next month in London, so if you are a horse-mad millionaire, this could be the purchase for you.
George Stubbs' not-so-catchily titled Gimcrack on Newmarket Heath, with a Trainer, a Stable Lad, and a Jockey, will be auctioned by Christie's and is expected to fetch in excess of £20 million (Dh119.7m).
One lucky art collector is expected to buck the UK's economic gloom and splash out a huge sum of money on the masterpiece, showing that when it comes to winning top prize it is just "equestrian" of how much you are willing to pay.
Often criticised for needlessly spending big bucks in the summer months, Manchester City Football Club is yet to be ruled out of a purchase.
The painting is almost 250 years old, more than 6ft wide and made up of two scenes on one canvas, both depicting Gimcrack, one of the greatest racehorses of 18th century racing.
The first scene to the right of the painting shows Gimcrack winning a race by some margin, and the left side shows the thoroughbred outside his stable with his aforesaid jockey, trainer and stable boy.
It was commissioned by the horse's owner, Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke, and Stubbs finished the painting in 1765. It remains in good condition, according to reports.
Although a small horse at 14.2 hands, Gimcrack was incredibly successful, winning 28 of his 36 races. York Racecourse even has a run named after the little whippersnapper, called the Gimcrack Stakes.
The painting is currently housed at Cottesbrooke Hall in Northamptonshire, owned by the descendants of Lord Woolavington. The artwork is reportedly being sold because the high cost of its insurance.
Top 5: Most expensive paintings sold at auction
1 Garcon a la Pipe, US$104,168,000, Pablo Picasso
2 Dora Maar au Chat, $95,216,000, Pablo Picasso
3 Portrait of Adele Bloch-Baur II, $87,936,000, Gustav Klimt
4 Portrait du Dr Gachet, $82,500,000, Vincent van Gogh
5 Bal au moulin de la Galette, Montmartre, $78,100,000, Pierre-Auguste Renoir
On top of the £20m auction tag, the buyer will also have to pay top whack to insure the painting - just in case some unscrupulous art lovers race away with it.
The Quote: Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind. William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream