GEORGE STUBBS, R.A. 199 



been famous on the English turf from the time 

 of the Godolphin Arabian. These pictures were 

 to be exhibited first, then engraved, and finally 

 published in numbers with descriptive letterpress. 

 A sum of ^9,000 was offered for the undertaking, 

 and Stubbs had made considerable progress when 

 the outbreak of war with France alarmed the pro- 

 jectors, and caused the somewhat abrupt abandon- 

 ment of the scheme after sixteen pictures had 

 been painted. These were portraits of (i) The 

 Godolphin Arabian ; (2) Marske, the sire of 

 Eclipse; (3) Eclipse; (4) Dungannon ; (5) Volun- 

 teer ; (6) Gimcrack ; (7) Mambrino ; (8) Sweetbriar ; 

 (9) Sweet William; (10) Protector; (11) Shark; 

 (12) Baronet; (13) Pumpkin; (14) Bandy; (15) 

 Gnawpost ; and (16) Anvil. The portrait of the 

 Godolphin Arabian had been intended to form the 

 frontispiece of the work. These sixteen pictures, 

 in 1794, were exhibited at the Turf Gallery in 

 Conduit Street ; they were afterwards engraved 

 by George Townley Stubbs, the plates being of 

 practically uniform size, viz., 20 inches by i sc- 

 inches, and published in accord with the original 

 design. 



Stubbs was a man of simple tastes and habits. 

 He outgrew the delicacy of his early youth and 

 developed into a man of sound constitution and of 

 remarkable physical strength. He possessed extra- 



