George Stubbs: 50 Chapters of an Imagined Biography

Thisbiography of George Stubbs, leading eighteenth century English animal painter, is "e;imagined"e;, becausevirtually nothing is known ofhis character or private life. Historian Merritt Abrashhas combined his knowledge of eighteenth century Great Britain with the facts of Stubbs' artistic career and theevidence of his paintings, in orderto create stories providing insights intothe kind of man the artist might have been. The fifty stories consist ofepisodes, imaginary but not impossible, which present Stubbs at differentmoments of life, from the confidence, strivings and adventures of youth to thedoubts, fears and deeper understandings of old age. His interactions with fellow artists--Gainsborough, Reynolds,Turner, Blake and others less famous--are often contentious, and encounterswith prominent contemporaries such as Dr. Johnson, Gibbon, Wesley and Smithtake surprising turns. Stories dealing with his independent-minded common-lawwife, their son and personal friends reveal Stubbs experiencing both joy andgrief.' His character emergesas centered on the conviction that truth isto be found in therationally observed factuality of life, yet occurrences in some episodes prove to be beyond factual explanation, leadinghim instead to unexpected spiritual insights.