喬治·斯德布 A.R.A.

應為米鐸頓子爵四世喬治·伯德里克（17540-1836年）委託或購買；
家族收藏至1962年，現藏家通過奧斯卡與彼得·約翰森畫廊購之

Probably London, Royal Academy, 1776, no. 293 (as Tygers at Play);

London, Oscar & Peter Johnson Gallery, Pictures and Drawings from Yorkshire Houses, 1963, no. 15;

London, Tate Gallery, George Stubbs 1724–1806, 17 October 1984 – 6 January 1985, no. 78;

New Haven, Yale Centre for British Art, George Stubbs 1724–1806, 13 February – 7 April 1985, no. 78;

Leeds, City Art Gallery, Whistlejacket & Scrub: Large as Life; The Great Horse Paintings of Stubbs, 12 September – 9 November 2008, unnumbered.  

Sir W. Gilbey, Animal Painters of England, vol. II, London 1900, p. 205;

B. Taylor, The Prints of George Stubbs, London 1969, p. 24;

B. Taylor, Stubbs, London 1971, p. 208, no. 39, reproduced pl. 39 (as ‘Leopards playing in a rocky landscape’);

C. A. Parker, Mr Stubbs the Horse Painter, London 1971, p. 198;

L. Parris, George Stubbs A.R.A., ‘Leopards at Play’ and ‘The Spanish Pointer’, London 1974, pp. 8–11, reproduced p. 9;

C. Lennox-Boyd, R. Dixon and T. Clayton, George Stubbs. The Complete Engraved Works, London 1989, pp. 173–74;

J. Egerton, ed., George Stubbs 1724–1806, exhibition catalogue, London 1984, p. 113, cat. no. 78, reproduced in colour;

J. Egerton, George Stubbs, Painter. Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London 2007, pp. 308–09, no. 122, reproduced in colour;

K. Harker (ed.), Whistlejacket & Scrub: Large as Life, exhibition catalogue, Leeds 2008, pp. 10, 18, & 40, reproduced in colour p. 18;

P. Johnson, Heart in Art. A Life in Paintings, London 2010, reproduced in colour p. 14.

The following condition report is provided by Sarah Walden, who is an external specialist and not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting has a comparatively recent lining and stretcher, perhaps from the early middle of the twentieth century. The fine even texture of the surface is perfectly secure and undisturbed by any past damage. The exceptionally pure, intact quality of the painting throughout suggests that it had a calm, stable early history with scarcely any intervention perhaps until the cleaning and restoration presumably with the lining mentioned above. The subtle transitions in the landscape, paling as it recedes into the distance, are beautifully preserved, increasing the contrast with the strength of tone of the cubs themselves, which remain in extraordinarily perfect condition down to the slightest whisker. Under ultra violet light a single, quite small, recent retouching of any consequence can be seen in the shadow on the ground just to the left of the cubs. Elsewhere there is only a little surface scratch in the mid left background and a tiny surface touch or two at upper left. Along the base edge there may be old retouching in a few places. The old varnish has been thinned, with some uneven earlier varnish also visible in places under ultra violet. The fine brushwork remains exceptionally well preserved however almost throughout, even in the delicate darker detail of the foreground and the palm tree, as well as in the fragile tracery of the mountains against the sky. Just in the upper right corner of the sky the light ground can be seen emerging unevenly through a slightly thinner film of blue paint. It is rare to find a painting so beautifully preserved. The Frame The following report is based on information supplied by Paul Mitchell, to whom we are grateful for his assistance. The painting is held in its original English Etruscan neoclassical frame, probably designed by Sir William Chambers, circa 1775. The frame, with its feather moulding, beading, frieze of alternating anthemia & palmettes, and bound facses at the sight edge, is identical to the frame on Stubbs’s Mares and foals on a river bank, painted circa 1763-65 (Tate Gallery, London), which also belonged for the Midleton family at Peper Harow, in Surrey, and was probably commissioned by the 4th Viscount’s father, George Brodrick, 3rd Viscount Midleton. The 3rd Viscount had commissioned Sir William Chambers to build a new Palladian villa for him at Peper Harow in 1765, but died five months after approving the plans for the house. The 4th Viscount came of age in 1775, and the interior of the house may not have been completed until this date. Presumably the 4th Viscount had both paintings framed alike after he bought Tygers at Play, and possibly other paintings in the collection at Peper Harow may have received similar frames. A similar arrangement of mouldings, particularly the use of anthemia for the principal decoration, as well as at the corners, can be seen in a series of drawings by Chambers, and it seems almost certain that he must have been responsible for the design. An illustrated report on the frame provided by Paul Mitchell Ltd is available upon request.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

喬治·斯德布於1724年在利物浦出生，少年時期學習解剖學，自習繪畫。以他對動物結構的固有認識，加之其眼光準確銳利，在1760年代便成為十八世紀最傑出的動物畫師，委託他作畫之士包括皇室貴族及當時許多知名鑑藏家。其筆下的純種賽馬最早令他成名，然而這次的作品所呈現的是畫家後來在1760年代末及1770年代更加關注的野生異國動物。此畫於1776年在皇家藝術學院展覽，是藝術家生前最受歡迎的作品之一，構圖更多次出現在隨後的版畫作品中，廣泛流傳。然而，這幅原創的油畫卻一直為私人珍藏，罕作公眾展示，自皇家藝術學院的展覽後，僅有四次公開展覽。畫中的兩隻小豹在一片代表其家鄉非洲的虛構景緻中遊戲。當時畫家在1776年的展覽為其所植之題目中稱之為虎，顯示在十八世紀中，此類動物對歐洲來說是前所未見的新奇物種。此品不僅畫面生動出色，更狀況相當良好，連小豹的鬍鬚都清晰可見，完好無缺。如此精美完整的十八世紀油畫在今日委實難得。