Whistlejacket

Whistlejacket

Whistlejacket, the second Marquess of Rockingham's prize racehorse, is presented full-size and rearing in the levade position usually used in equestrian portraits of military commanders. A specialist horse painter, Stubbs deliberately depicted Whistlejacket without a rider against a blank backdrop, making the viewer focus solely on the majestic beauty and unrestrained power of the Arabian stallion.