An important link to the very foundations of thoroughbred racing has been restored for the last few months at Wentworth Woodhouse in South Yorkshire with a homecoming for seven paintings by George Stubbs.
The exhibition Beneath the Surface, which runs until this Sunday, is being held in the spectacular stately home which once belonged to the Marquess of Rockingham. It coincides with the 300th birthday of Stubbs, the most celebrated of sporting artists who spent time as an artist-in-residence at Wentworth Woodhouse in 1762 upon Rockingham’s invitation.
It was there he painted Whistlejacket, a stallion grandson of the Godolphin Arabian whose portrait has become one of the best-known examples of its kind and hangs in the National Gallery. A replica exists in the Whistlejacket Room and the exhibition has brought seven more original Stubbs works to the house. These include Whistlejacket with the Head Groom Mr Cobb and Two Other Principal Stallions, Mares and Foals with an Unfigured Background and Portrait of Scrub in a Landscape with John Singleton Up.
“When Stubbs was doing his residency, those paintings were then displayed by Rockingham at Wentworth Woodhouse, mostly in his private spaces with the exception of Whistlejacket, and we’ve now been able to bring them together publicly,” explains Victoria Ryves, head of culture and engagement at the house.
“We were also able to bring in some contemporary pieces that speak to similar themes; we want to invite our visitors to reflect on different types of art, so we’ve included some works by the likes of Tracy Emin and Ugo Rondinone. A large part also touches on the racing connection, so we have some objects from Doncaster museum linking to the St Leger on loan and we feature work by Mark Wallinger, a contemporary artist who is very interested in racing.”
Rockingham, a Whig politician, was twice Prime Minister. There might have been another footnote in racing history had he accepted an invitation for the world’s oldest Classic to be named after him instead of Anthony St Leger. He had owned the winner of the first renewal of the race in 1776, Allabaculia.
The beautiful setting in South Yorkshire has attracted a wide range of visitorsCredit: Wentworth Woodhouse
“Rockingham was absolutely obsessed with horseracing, it’s fair to say,” says Ryves. “The first part of the exhibition helps visitors contextualise the role that horses played in the life of the house.
“He had lots of horses and he built a huge stables complex, which really demonstrated his interest. As you come down the drive to visit it’s the first thing you’ll see, it’s actually currently subject to a really large restoration project we’re working on.”
Stubbs, who was self-taught, is famed for the accuracy and sensitivity of his painting. A great collector was Mill Reef’s owner-breeder Paul Mellon, who stimulated a renewed interest in the artist over the last century. Gimcrack on Newmarket Heath was auctioned for £22.4m by Christie’s in 2011.
The Racing Post received a tip-off from a reader who described it as “a privilege” to see the Stubbs works in such a setting, while there have been various lectures and workshops relating to it.
Ryves has been pleased with the general response to the largest and most ambitious exhibition undertaken by the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust so far.
“It’s been very popular,” she says. “Because it’s that mixture of contemporary art and those by Stubbs, it has attracted lots of different types of art fan as well as people who are into racing, people that adore horses, so a real mixed bag of appeal.
“It’s really exciting we can connect Wentworth’s story to Stubbs and it does feel wonderful to be able to bring those painting back for visitors to enjoy.”
For more information on Beneath the Surface: George Stubbs & Contemporary Artists, you can visit https://wentworthwoodhouse.org.uk/
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