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Creator:
George Stubbs, 1724–1806
Title:
The Farmer's Wife and the Raven
Former Title(s):

The Farmer's Wife and the Raven, from John Gay's "Fables"

The farmer's wife and raven (Gay's Fables); enamel [1782, Royal Academy of Arts, London, exhibition catalogue]
Date:
1786
Materials & Techniques:
beeswax and oil on millboard
Dimensions:
26 1/2 x 38 1/2 inches (67.3 x 97.8 cm)
Inscription(s)/Marks/Lettering:

Signed and dated, lower center: "geo stubbs | 1786"

Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1977.14.94
Classification:
Paintings
Collection:
Paintings and Sculpture
Link to Frame:
B1977.14.94FR
Subject Terms:
basket | bird | broken | Common Raven | costume | dream | eggs | farmer | Fifty-one Fables in Verse or Fables of John Gay (1727, Part the Second 1738) | frightened | genre subject | gesture | horse (animal) | landscape | literary theme | literature | raven | wife | willow | woman
Access:
Not on view
Link:
https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:433
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This scene from John Gay’s popular book Fables (1727) is one of Stubbs’s rare excursions into literary subject matter. A farmer’s wife rides to market preoccupied with the thought of the profit that her eggs will bring. The croak of a raven perched on a branch makes her start from her “silver dream”; the horse falters beneath her, and the eggs are broken.

Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2022



This scene from John Gay's "Fables" is one of Stubbs's rare excursions into literary subject matter. A farmer's wife rides to market preoccupied with the thought of the profit her eggs will bring. The croak of a raven perched on a branch makes her start from her "silver dream;" the horse falters beneath her, and the eggs are broken.

Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016

George Stubbs in the Collection of Paul Mellon: a Memorial Exhibition (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 2000-02-14 - 2000-05-15) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition] [Exhibition Description]

George Stubbs in the Collection of Paul Mellon: a Memorial Exhibition (Yale Center for British Art, 1999-04-30 - 1999-09-05) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition] [Exhibition Description]

George Stubbs (1724-1806) Tate Gallery (Yale Center for British Art, 1985-02-13 - 1985-04-07) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

George Stubbs (1724-1806) Tate Gallery (Tate Britain, 1984-10-17 - 1985-01-06) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

Painting in England 1700-1850 - From The Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon (Yale University Art Gallery, 1965-04-15 - 1965-06-20) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

Robin Blake, George Stubbs and the wide creation, animals, people and places in the life of George Stubbs, 1724-1806 , Chatto & Windus, London : Chatto & Windus, 2005, 2005, pp. 236, 254-56, pl. 32, NJ18.St915 B53 2005 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Christie's sale catalogue : Catalogue of the Valuable Collection of Pictures & Drawings and Engravings of the Early English School of Sir Walter Gilbey : 12 March, 14 March and 15 March 1910, Christie's, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, March 12, 14 and 15, 1910, p. 26, Lot 146, Fiche B51, Fiche# 1408 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Christie's sale catalogue : Catalogue of the collection of sporting pictures : 11 June 1915, Christie's, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, June 11, 1915, Lot 401, Fiche B51 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Christie's sale catalogue : The Tresham Gilbey collection of sporting pictures and books and pictures from other sources : 30 May 1947, Christie's, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, May 30, 1947, p. 11, Lot 83, Fiche B51 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Christie's sale catalogue: Catalogue of the First Portion of the Important Collection of Sporting Pictures : 20 July 1951, Christie's, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, July 20, 1951, Lot 131, Fiche B51, Fiche# 3229 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Malcolm Cormack, Concise Catalogue of Paintings in the Yale Center for British Art, Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT, 1985, pp. 218-219, N590.2 .A83 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Malcolm Cormack, George Stubbs in the collection of Paul Mellon : A memorial exhibition, , Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT, 1999, p. 49, NJ18 St915 G54 1999 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Judy Egerton, British Sporting and Animal Paintings 1655-1867 : A Catalogue : The Paul Mellon Collection, , Tate Publishing, London, 1978, pp. 95-96, no. 93, ND1383 G7 B75 OVERSIZE (YCBA) [YCBA]

Judy Egerton, George Stubbs, 1724-1806, [exhibition] Tate Gallery. , Tate Publishing, London, 1984, p. 172, no. 129, NJ18 St915 E43 (YCBA) + [YCBA]

Fine paintings, Philip Mould. , Philip Mould Ltd., London, 2007, p. 56, no. 23, DealerCat Philip Mould 2007 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Walter Gilbey, Life of George Stubbs, R.A., Vinton, London, 1898, p. 159, NJ18 St915 G55 (HAAS) [ORBIS]

Catherine M. Gordon, British paintings Hogarth to Turner, Frederick Warne, London, 1981, p. 62, ND466 .G67 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Luke Herrmann, The Paul Mellon Collection at Burlington House, Connoisseur, vol. 157, December 1964, p. 216, N1 C75 + OVERSIZE (YCBA) [YCBA]

Loan collection of pictures by George Stubbs, A.R.A., and engravings from his works , J & W Vokins, London, 1885, p. 20, no. 7, NJ18 St915 L62 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Venetia Morrison, The art of George Stubbs, Wellfleet Press, Seacaucus, N.J., 1989, p. 127, NJ18 St915 M67 1989+ (YCBA) [YCBA]

National Gallery of British Sports and Pastimes, list of sports and pastimes : the first 600 selected pictures : there are 3,000 and more paintings, coloured prints, etc., which will be exhibited from time to time. , National Gallery of British Sports and Pastimes, London, 1950, pp. 27-28, no. 112, N8250 L65 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Painting in England 1700-1850 : collection of Mr. & Mrs. Paul Mellon : Exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, , , Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA, 1963, p. 170 (v. 1), no. 323, pl. 185, ND466 V57 v.1-2 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Painting in England 1700-1850 from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, The Royal Academy of Arts Winter Exhibition 1964-65., , Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK, 1964, pp. 74-75, no. 266, N5220.M45 R69 1964 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Yale University Art Gallery, Painting in England, 1700-1850, from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon : [exhibition at] Yale University Art Gallery, April 15-June 20, 1965, , vol. 1, W. Clowes and sons, New Haven, 1965, p. 47 (v.1), no. 178, ND466 Y35 (YCBA) [YCBA]


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