“Colonel Pocklington with His Sisters,” an oil painting on canvas by George Stubbs, was completed in 1769 and exemplifies the Romanticism movement within the genre of portraiture. This artwork is housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, US.
The artwork presents a serene and engaging outdoor scene, presumably set in the English countryside. At the center stands Colonel Pocklington, garbed in a red military coat, holding the reins of a horse. Flanking him are his sisters, elegantly dressed in period attire. The composition is framed by a large, gnarled tree overhead, with voluminous, green foliage contrasting against the luminous sky marked by soft clouds. In the background, the landscape stretches into a pastoral vista, creating a peaceful and balanced setting for this distinguished family portrait. The artist’s meticulous attention to details, textures, and lighting imbues the painting with a sense of realism and quiet majesty, characteristic of Stubbs’ mastery.
