"ECLIPSE " AXD THE MODERN THOROUGHBRED. 305 



found this painting of Eclipse at Rushmore, his country seat in Dorsetshire, and that 

 after a sojourn with Admiral Rous in Berkeley Square it passed, by the original 

 desire of Lord Rivers, to the Jockey Club. The name of the artist is given 

 on the frame now as " Garrard," and this may well be the case, for the 

 work possesses none of the skill or actuality which may be seen either in Sartorius 

 or in Stubbs in the same inspiring subject. Indeed, the painting of Pumpkin (which 

 is a replica of those at the Durdans and at Cumberland Lodge) in the second card- 

 room is the only good example of that great artist which the Club possesses. By far 

 the finest painting of Eclipse I have ever seen is the careful study on rough canvas, 

 evidently done from accurate measurement, which hangs in Sir Walter Gilbey's fine 

 collection at Elsenham Hall. This was undoubtedly the work of Stubbs and no 

 other, and it shows his anatomical skill as much as his artistic feeling. It is sad to 

 think that when Mr. Bracy Clark, whom I mentioned just now in speaking of the 

 skeleton at the Veterinary College, visited the artist in Somerset Street, Portman 

 Square, six months before his death, he found him sadly discontented with the 

 remuneration such fine work had been able to secure. This study of Eclipse has never 

 been reproduced before. It is painted on canvas 24.} ins. by 29! ins., without a back- 

 ground, and was probably taken from life, for the head is as full of character as that 

 of Gimcrack, painted by the same artist. Originally in the collection of Mr. H. A. J. 

 Munro, of Novar, it is now, by the kind permission of Sir Walter Gilbey, given in 

 these pages not only that it may be compared with Stubbs' own drawing of a 

 skeleton (Vol. I., p. 45) and with the actual skeleton of Eclipse in the Veterinary 

 College, but also because it was the original sketch from which the well-known 

 finished picture was painted, as may be seen on page 151 of my first volume, where 

 it will be noticed that a slight mistake in the colour of the off hind hoof in this sketch 

 has been corrected in the finished painting. This same sketch must also have been 

 used for an equally interesting and less well-known painting (40 ins. by 50 ins.), 

 evidently made to Mr. Wildman's order by Stubbs, for it represents this fortunate, 

 owner himself seated by a tree, with two boys, one of whom holds Eclipse by his 

 bridle. The horse is in exactly the same position as in the sketch, and the boughs 

 of the tree over his head make a beautiful contrast to his chestnut coat. As a 

 composition the painting is much superior to that which I refer to later (No. 3) at 

 the Durdans. It was sold at Christie's in March, 1902, by the executors of 

 Mr. J. R. F. Burnett, grandson of Mr. Wildman, and is now most appropriately 

 placed at Elsenham in the collection which already contained so many fine examples 

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