Captain Samuel Sharpe Pocklington with His Wife, Pleasance, and possibly His Sister, Frances
1769 National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
About this artwork
This conversation piece features a British officer with his wife and likely his sister, set in an expansive landscape under a large oak tree. Stubbs is celebrated for his precise, anatomical rendering of horses, which serves as the focal point between the human figures.
Did you know?
George Stubbs was famously obsessed with animal anatomy, often performing his own dissections to ensure his paintings were scientifically accurate. This painting is a classic example of a 'conversation piece,' a popular 18th-century genre that captured elite families in informal, relaxed outdoor settings to showcase their status and connection to the land.
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Captain Samuel Sharpe Pocklington with His Wife, Pleasance, and possibly His Sister, Frances
George Stubbs, 1769
