Molly Longlegs

Stubbs was born in Liverpool, the son of a leather worked. He was self-taught and built his reputation as a horse portraitist. This picture, with its clear depiction of veins, bones, muscles and distinctive equine bloodpoints is among the best of his single horse portraits. It shows how closely Stubbs's anatomical studies and portraiture were linked.

Molly Longlegs was a bay mare that twice won 200 guinea prizes at Newmarket races. She belonged to Lord Bolingbroke who presumably commissioned this portrait.