Quotes can often summarise an artist beautifully, or at the very least give us an extra insight into the mind behind the work. Attributable quotes on 18th century artists tend to be sparse and, as such, there are quotes about Stubbs from art historians included in this section.
The studio sale of 1807 which sold off many of Stubb's drawings would also have disposed of many of his notes too, which would have provided us with a plethora of information on him, had they still existed. It has been left to British historians to try to piece together greater detail on the likes of Stubbs, Reynolds and Gainsborough over the past few centuries.
Much more is known about the two British figureheads of Turner and Constable, whilst the Paul Mellon Centre has taken on the challenge on the filling in the blanks for many other famous British artists from the past centuries.
Stubbs' customary procedure was first to lay in the animals with a very liquid or dilute paint, probably a drying oil extended by pine resin, which he treated in the manner of a translucent watercolour wash
Victoria Pemberton-Pigott, from our paintings section
Stubbs went to Italy in 1754 "...to convince himself that nature was and is always superior to art whether Greek or Roman, and having renewed this conviction he immediately resolved upon returning home..."
Ozias Humphry
