Horse sculptures from celebration trail to go under the hammer

EIGHT of the astonishing horse sculptures that were created for one of the most imaginative celebrations of last year's 300th centenary of the birth of the great equestrian artist, George Stubbs, are to go under the hammer in an auction in North Lincolnshire next week.

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Stubbs (1724-1806) revolutionised the way the horse was depicted in art.

In 1756, Stubbs rented a farm-house in the then remote North Lincolnshire village of Horkstow and spent the next 18 months dis-secting the bodies of horses in a barn, drawing and recording as his studies progressed.

The work would lead to a new understanding of the anatomy of the horse, knowledge that would result in some of the most accurate horse pictures ever painted and eventually be shared thanks to his book, The Anatomy of the Horse, published in 1766.