Laetitia, Lady Lade (d. 1825)

Laetitia, Lady Lade from 1793 by George Stubbs is a royal commission depicting the notorious wife of Sir John Lade, intimate of the Prince of Wales and former member of his racing circle. Lady Lade—born Letitia Derby, a former courtesan—was famous for her daring horsemanship and her colorful past, which made her a scandalous social figure even in the relatively permissive court of the prince. Stubbs depicts her on horseback with the precision he brought to all his equestrian subjects, the horse rendered with anatomical authority and the rider with the upright bearing of an expert horsewoman. The equestrian format gave equal weight to horse and rider, appropriate for a woman whose reputation rested partly on her skill in the saddle. The work is held at the Royal Collection.

The equestrian portrait combines Stubbs's precise horse painting with a figure rendered with careful attention to the rider's posture and bearing.