A Saddled Bay Hunter

A Saddled Bay Hunter from 1786 by George Stubbs depicts a riding horse tacked up and ready for the hunt, the animal alone without groom or rider in a format that emphasizes the horse as subject rather than as property of a specific owner. The saddled-but-riderless horse format—relatively unusual in his output—creates a slightly mysterious image, the waiting animal suggesting an absent human presence. Bay horses, with their rich red-brown coat and black points, provided Stubbs with a warm tonal range that contrasted with the cooler greys and chestnuts of other frequent subjects. The saddle and bridle are rendered with characteristic precision, the leather and metalwork as carefully depicted as the equine anatomy beneath them. The work is held at the Denver Art Museum.

The bay hunter is rendered with Stubbs's characteristic anatomical precision, the saddle and tack depicted with equal attention to material detail.