Their work features in the mansion’s current exhibition: Beneath the Surface: George Stubbs & Contemporary Artists
It’s 262 years since George Stubbs, who became one of the Georgian era’s most celebrated artists, stood on Wentworth Woodhouse land, brush in hand, and captured the scene before him. In 1762, Stubbs spent almost a year at the House & Gardens, creating seven paintings for the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham.
Budding artists with learning difficulties have now followed in the famous artist’s steps – standing where Stubbs is believed to have stood to create their own interpretations of the views across the estate. The art they have created is now on show at the Trust’s latest major art exhibition currently being staged to celebrate the 300th birthday of the acclaimed Georgian artist.
Beneath the Surface: George Stubbs & Contemporary Artists, opened on Tuesday 30th July and runs for three months until Sunday 3rd November.
It is the biggest exhibition ever staged by the Preservation Trust, which now owns the house. It features thought-provoking pieces by Mark Wallinger, Tracey Emin and other leading contemporary artists, and seven important works by Stubbs, four of which were created during his 1762 Wentworth Woodhouse residency.
The Marquess had asked Stubbs to capture his favourite horses and dogs in oil paints. One of them was his favourite racehorse Whistlejacket, and the larger-than-life painting Stubbs created went on to be described as one of the most important of the 18th century. It hung in Wentworth Woodhouse from 1762 to 1971 and is now looked after for the nation and on permanent display at the National Gallery in London.
The replica which graces the mansion’s Whistlejacket Room made such an impression on one local schoolboy, he became an artist. Richard Johnson grew up in Thorpe Hesley and Wentworth in the 1970s- 80s and he became friends with the 10th Earl Fitzwilliam’s head gamekeeper Harry Gale.
Harry taught him about nature and the pair spent time in parts of the estate which were out-of-bounds to the public. One fateful day, he took him into the house to see the Whistlejacket image.
Said Richard: “The painting is incredible, you really feel like you’re in the presence of a living, breathing animal. Just seeing the replica changed my life. It helped me realise my ambition to become an artist.”
He is now a well-known landscape artist with a studio in Sheffield’s Yorkshire Art Space, a former arts officer for Derbyshire’s High Peak and one of the Peak District’s official artists in residence. He has an abiding interest in Stubbs’ work and his time in Rotherham.
The Trust, which has been restoring Wentworth Woodhouse since taking ownership in 2017, strives to give art and culture opportunities to local people.
Its ‘Where Stubbs Stood’ community project saw Richard use his knowledge of the grounds and estate to identify the landscapes in two of Stubbs’ 1762 paintings in the exhibition. He then took 20 members of ArtWorks South Yorkshire, which works with adult artists with learning disabilities, to the places where Stubbs most likely stood to paint, then helped them create their own landscape paintings.
Said Richard: “Stubbs inadvertently made a record of what Wentworth land looked like at that time – particularly important as it was changed by Government-ordered opencast mining on the estate from 1946.
“Thanks to my time with Mr Gale the gamekeeper all those years ago, I was able to identify the backgrounds of two of the paintings in the exhibition and took the artists there.
“In my opinion, in the background of Portrait of Scrub In A Landscape with John Singleton Up is Morley Pond, which is now a carp fishing lake, with the fields of Thorpe Hesley beyond. I think the horse is positioned on a small promontory at the Scholes end of the bridge between Morley Pond and Dog Kennel Pond.
“I believe the background in Five of Lord Rockingham’s Stag Hounds in a Landscape was painted at Temple Hill, a wooded area behind the mansion’s public car park. The artists from ArtWorks stood under a sycamore tree on the lawn overlooking Temple Hill to make their versions of Stubbs’ painting.”
Richard, who lives in Greystones, Sheffield, added: “The ArtWorks artists were very proud to be treading in Stubbs’ footsteps and created wonderful paintings of the landscape. Some added horses, dogs and jockey John Singleton. It was a pleasure to work with them.”
Victoria Ryves, the Trust’s Head of Culture and Engagement said: “Funding from the National Lottery via Arts Council England gave us a unique opportunity to connect local people to world-class art which was created here in Rotherham.
By following in the footsteps of Stubbs, the ArtWorks artists have unlocked creativity and created masterpieces of their own.”
Beneath the Surface | George Stubbs & Contemporary Artists Exhibition runs until Sunday 3rd November, 10.00am-5.00pm and is included in general House & Gardens Admission tickets. To find out more and to book your tickets, click here.