[Stubbs, George.

2 parts, folio (685 x 520mm.), 20 stipple engraved plates (comprising 10 anatomical studies and 10 accompanying key plates), original blue wrappers, some soiling and marginal dampstaining

Thomas Villiers, 2nd Earl of Clarendon (1753-1824); thence by descent to George Villiers, 7th Earl of Clarendon (1933-2009)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

From the library of Stubb's patron Thomas Villiers, 2nd Earl of Clarendon. This is Stubbs's rare, unfinished companion-piece to The Anatomy of the Horse. "If the title sounds bizarre, the thinking behind it was not; nor was it an eccentric project, but rather one of many such comparative studies in which pursuers of the Enlightenment... sought to comprehend the structure of animal (including human) anatomy" (Judy Egerton, George Stubbs, Painter (London, 2007), p.93).

The 2nd Earl of Clarendon, was an important patron of Stubbs, giving him at least ten commissions between 1800 and 1803. He was a Member of Parliament (1774-86) before he succeeded to the earldom and lived at the Grove, near Watford, in Hertfordshire. A keen sportsman, he kept both staghounds and fox-hounds and was a founder member of the Hertfordshire Hunt. Among Clarendon's commissions from Stubbs were paintings of imported animals such as Indian Bulls, a moose, and a bison of the kind which he hoped to be able naturalise in England.