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Newmarket Heath, with a Rubbing-down House
George Stubbs British
Not on view
The sketch, one of only two pure landscapes by Stubbs, is a view of a rubbing house and race course on Newmarket Heath. Repeatedly referred to by the artist (see Turf, with Jockey Up, at Newmarket), the canvas remained in his studio until his death. The stable-like building of red brick and yellowed tile was squat and utilitarian, housing stalls where horses were saddled before a race and rubbed down afterwards with straw or rough cloths. Preferred by Stubbs over fleeting glimpses of excited spectators, these buildings bore silent witness to victories won and contests endured.
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