Horse Frightened by a Lion
- Artist: George Stubbs
- Date: ?exhibited 1763
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: unconfirmed: 705 x 1019 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is the Horse Frightened by a Lion by George Stubbs, an oil on canvas dated 1763. The scene captures the moment a horse, standing in the rocky crags of Creswell, senses a lion emerging from its cave and rises in sudden fright. Stubbs devoted more than thirty years to this dramatic theme, creating a series of four episodes that chart the fatal encounter. Here we see the first stage, before the conflict erupts. The harsh limestone of the Peak District provides a stark, almost romantic backdrop, amplifying the sublime terror in the horse’s stance—ears flung, mane bristling, eyes wide with fear. Stubbs was renowned for his anatomical precision, and he studied lions at Lord Shelburne’s menagerie to capture their musculature and menace. The horse, too, was an object of meticulous observation. The painting’s composition moves the viewer from the open sky to the looming cliffs, setting a contrast between freedom and impending doom. It sits beside its companion, Horse Devoured by a Lion, completing the narrative arc of the series. The work was acquired in 1994 with the help of several heritage funds, preserving this vivid portrayal of nature’s raw drama.
See it in person
Horse Frightened by a Lion is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
