Newmarket Heath, with the King's stables rubbing house at the finish of the Beacon Course

This small study of the rubbing house at Newmarket was made in preparation for several paintings of individual racehorses represented at the famous racecourse, including Turf, with Jockey Up, at Newmarket (shown nearby). These buildings were used to saddle horses and then groom them after exercises or races. It is a testament to Stubbs’s penetrating vision that the small brick building was scrutinized with the same care and precision as a horse or jockey. It was probably painted in his studio from graphite or chalk sketches made at Newmarket and was later owned by the sporting artist James Ward, whose work is exhibited elsewhere on this floor.

Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2022