When you enter the National Gallery in London England,walk up the first flight of steps,turn to the right and there he is at the end of the hallway. He is looking right at you. It is Whistlejacket.
George Stubbs was commissioned by the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham to paint the stallion Whistlejacket in 1762. Stubbs studied the anatomy of horses closely and his paintings were very lifelike. There are a few interesting stories about the Whistlejacket painting.
- King George III was supposed to have been added to the painting riding Whistlejacket. This may or may not be true. Rockingham may have wanted to just honor the horse alone without a rider. Besides that Rockingham had fallen out with the King so he might not have wanted him depicted on his favorite horse.
- So lifelike is this almost life size painting that when the real life stallion saw the painted Whistlejacket he tried to attack it thinking it was another stallion!
Happy Monday everyone!
HorseAddict 
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