Artwork

Captain Samuel Sharpe Pocklington with His Wife, Pleasance, and possibly His Sister, Frances

Captain Samuel Sharpe Pocklington with His Wife, Pleasance, and possibly His Sister, Frances is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist George Stubbs. It dates from 1769 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower right: Geo: Stubbs / pinxit 1769

About this work

Technique & Style

Created in 1769, the work is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. The painting measures 100.2 cm in height by 126.6 cm in width. As a group portrait by George Stubbs, the medium and dimensions are consistent with his formal approach to portraiture during this period.

History & Provenance

The painting was commissioned by Samuel Sharpe Pocklington and completed in 1769 as an oil on canvas work by George Stubbs.

The painting was commissioned by Samuel Sharpe Pocklington and completed in 1769 as an oil on canvas work by George Stubbs. It remained in the family at Chelsworth Hall, Suffolk, passing by descent to his son Colonel Sir Robert Pocklington and then to John Blagrave of Calcot Park, Berkshire. The work was sold at auction in London on 28 June 1911 and acquired by Francis Howard through the dealer Knoedler & Co.

Charles Stewart Carstairs purchased the painting in 1913 and retained it in London, where it stayed until his wife's bequest of the work to the National Gallery of Art in 1952.

The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it is recorded as accessioned in 1952 following the bequest of Mrs. Charles S. Carstairs.

It was exhibited in 1911 at Messrs. Foster, London (sale, 28 June 1911, lot 102).

Overview

George Stubbs painted this oil on canvas in 1769, presenting a small group set in a wooded lakeside scene. The composition features a man in a military uniform beside a brown horse, accompanied by two women in elaborate eighteenth‑century gowns, all arranged against a backdrop of tall trees and a rocky shore.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure is identified as Captain Samuel Sharpe Pocklington, positioned with his wife Pleasance and, likely, his sister Frances. Their attire and the calm demeanor of the horse suggest a genteel domestic tableau, emphasizing familial ties and status within a tranquil natural environment.

Context

At the time of its creation, Stubbs was better known for his animal studies, yet this portrait demonstrates his ability to handle group compositions and fashionable portraiture. The work reflects contemporary tastes for pastoral settings that combined aristocratic display with an appreciation of the natural world.