Whistlejacket

A chestnut Arabian stallion with a pale mane rears against a plain pale background. The animal is the true subject here, observed with the affection and patience the old painters kept for their favourite sitters. Fur, eyes and posture are all set down with care, so its character comes through at any distance.

Its palette, measured from the canvas, is led by cream, with rust and butter in support: a luminous, warm picture. Those warm tones give it a glow that comes alive in lamplight and deepens as the evening draws in. The tall format leads the eye from top to bottom, so the details reward a second and a third look.

A tall canvas like this one suits a narrow wall: a hallway, the space beside a bookcase or a doorway, or the wall between two windows. For animal lovers it finds a home in a hallway, a study or a sunny kitchen. Cream and rust are easy to echo in cushions, a throw or a painted wall nearby, and it holds its own in a mixed gallery wall.

George Stubbs made the original around 1762; in the collection it is listed under Neoclassical. It has the clarity and poise of Neoclassical painting: crisp drawing, a calm composition and a polished finish. This painting is printed to order on gallery-wrapped canvas in 30 × 40 cm or 40 × 60 cm, from the image you see here. The canvas wraps around its frame, so it arrives ready to hang, with no framing needed. Want yourself in it instead? Add a photo and see your portrait free before you order.