This information is ©
The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow 2010
"The Nilgai" 1769
(oil painting)
CRE STUBBS, George; (English; 1724-1806)
Materials:
oil on canvas
Dimensions:
62.3 x 73.0
Frame:
78.0 x 88.0 x 5.5
Marks:
s. b. l. "Geo.Stubbs 1769"
Notes:
LABEL The artist describes the handsome antelope's fine-boned head with great delicacy. His celebrated sensitiveness when portraying horses is here transposed to this exotic animal, whose shiny black nose is almost twitching with life. Significantly, it is placed in a landscape reminiscent of the English countryside. The beautiful head is set onto a body characterised by spindly legs and overlong hooves. Hunter was delighted with Stubbs' work, which allowed him to proclaim that 'good painting of animals give much clearer ideas than descriptions.'
Hunter commissioned this painting in connection with a paper about the Nylghau that he delivered to the Royal Society on 28th February 1771. This picture was displayed on an easel during Hunter's lecture.
Keywords:
ANIMAL : LANDSCAPE : ANTELOPE : INDIAN : EXOTIC : NATURAL HISTORY : HUNTER 2007 : NYLGHAU : QUEEN CHARLOTTE : ANATOMICAL WORK :
