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In its faithfulness to nature and keen grasp of anatomical structure, Pangloss is one of Stubbs's finest horse portraits. The neutral background focuses attention on the beautifully precise drawing and the fine texture of the horse's coat. Though the artist typically painted his horses first and completed the surrounding landscape in his studio, this plain background was surely intentional.
Largely self-taught, Stubbs's ability to depict the natural world owed a great deal to his study of anatomy, which included detailed dissections of horses.
(Newhouse Galleries, New York);
Purchased by Eli Lilly Jr. [1885-1977]; {1}
Given to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, now the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, in 1947 (47.46).
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{1}Purchased by Lilly as a depiction of a horse named “Rufus.”
