George Stubbs' popular painting of a Spanish pointer dog will go under the hammer at Sotheby London next week, 52 years after it was last auctioned. The 18th-century portrait is likely to fetch somewhere between 1,500,000-2,000,000 pounds, according to a CNN report. The iconic painting was last sold for 30,000 pounds ($37,700) at the 1972 auction and 11 pounds ($14) at the 1802 auction.
According to Sotheby's, “The Spanish Pointer” is believed to have been painted between 1766 and 1768 and is considered one of the most famous pieces of work by Stubbs.
“It is always very exciting when a painting of this calibre re-emerges after being ‘lost,'” said Julian Gascoigne, a senior director and British paintings specialist at Sotheby's.
The pointer dog breed shown in the painting was brought to England from Spain at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Sportsmen valued the canines for their hunting prowess and obedience.
The massive bones at the back of the head and the broad nostrils are two of the animal's distinctive features that Stubbs depicts in this piece of art.
“It demonstrates his versatility and innate understanding of animal anatomy of all species,” said Gascoigne.
Since it was first painted, Stubbs's The Spanish Pointer has only had one official exhibition, in 1948 at the National Gallery of Sports and Pastimes in London. It was not available for public viewing again until 1972 when it was sold at Sotheby's.
A largely self-taught artist completed fewer than 400 paintings in his career. Stubbs' talent made him well-known for his portrayals of animals, especially horses. His training in anatomy helped him do justice to his artwork.
In addition to his works in the Tate Britain collection of ancient British art, his painting "Whistlejacket," which depicts a racehorse, is on display in London's National Gallery.
"The Spanish Pointer" will be displayed at Sotheby's exhibition of 19th-century and old master paintings until early December.
