This is London Magazine March Edition 2026 - Flipbook - Page 24
pictures of horses are
among the most
accurate ever painted
but he took artistic
license in his finished
paintings to reflect the
character of the
individual horses and
create impactful final
works which
transcend pure
naturalism. Stubbs
would achieve great
renown and build a
successful career
through his depictions
of horses and other
animals.
24
STUBBS: PORTRAIT OF A HORSE
A monumental painting of a rearing
horse will go on display on 12 March, 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
Stubbs.
Visitors will also be able to draw
comparisons with the artist’s masterpiece
Whistlejacket (about 1762), in the
National Gallery’s collection, which will be
on display nearby in Room 34. The two
equine portraits were painted in the same
year for the Marquess of Rockingham
(1730–82), who owned both of these
former racehorses. He would
subsequently decide not to purchase the
painting of Scrub.
These two paintings are the first large
as life portraits of horses depicted without
a rider in British art and show how in the
second half of the 18th-century Stubbs
would change equine painting for future
generations through his keen observation
and anatomical studies.
As a result of his endeavours, Stubbs’s
LONDON CRAFT WEEK
London Craft Week returns for its
12th edition from 11 - 17 May,
presenting exceptional making across
more than 150 venues throughout the
capital. Celebrating craft at every scale –
from local studios to global brands –
the festival invites visitors to explore the
stories, skills and people behind objects
spanning fashion, furniture, architecture
and design through exhibitions,
demonstrations, talks and workshops.
This year welcomes new sponsors
JW Anderson and Sotheby's, alongside
The Pimlico Road Series supported by
Grosvenor. JW Anderson will stage an
exhibition and live-making collaboration
at its Pimlico Road store. The Pimlico
Road Series will feature 20 leading
design brands, including Corston,
Soane Britain, Leonie Edmead and
Rose Uniacke.
Sotheby’s Bond Street galleries will
host Crafted, a major public programme
including the London Craft Week
Symposium, Festival of Craft talks,
artisan demonstrations and an exhibition
with Intoart. The third edition of Secret
Ceramics – a fundraising initiative with
FiredUp4 – will present 100 anonymous,
identically priced works and, for the first
time, auction 12 special pieces by
leading UK ceramicists.
Across London, standout makers
include Darbyshire with a group
exhibition of leading artists; copper
sculptor Sadie Clayton at Old
Spitalfields Market; Jessica Light in
Bethnal Green; and glassblower Theo
Brooks at Cockpit Deptford.
The festival significantly expands into
the City of London with film screenings
at the Barbican, exhibitions, livery
company demonstrations, walking tours,
and events at landmarks including
St Paul’s Cathedral and the restored
Barts North Wing. Contemporary
restoration is further explored at the
Palace of Westminster and Westminster
Abbey.
International highlights include major
presentations from Italy, France, Austria,
Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea
and Southwest China. Museums and
institutions participating include the
V&A, Royal College of Art, Design
Museum and The Courtauld, among
many others.
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