Stubbs, George (1724-1806) - Huntsmen setting out from Southill 1763-8

Painted between 1763 and 1768, Huntsmen Setting Out from Southill captures one of the defining rituals of Georgian aristocratic life — the moment before the hunt begins, when horses are fresh, hounds are eager, and the morning light falls across the English countryside with a clarity that only Stubbs could render. Southill Park in Bedfordshire was the seat of the Whitbread family, and this commission places Stubbs at the heart of the great country house tradition: a painter trusted to record not just the horses and hounds, but the entire social world of the English sporting estate. The composition is a masterclass in controlled energy — riders, mounts, and dogs all poised on the threshold of action, held in perfect balance by Stubbs's extraordinary eye.

Restoration & Remastering

The original had accumulated the familiar toll of time: yellowed varnish, compressed tones, and colours far removed from what Stubbs painted in the 1760s. Our work was guided by a single question: what did this painting look like on the morning it was first unveiled?

• Varnish yellowing removed — the amber cast was lifted, recovering the cool morning light, cleaner sky tones, and the true colours of the huntsmen's coats and horses
• Horse anatomy sharpened — muscle definition, neck and shoulder structure, and the individual character of each mount were recovered, honouring Stubbs's anatomical precision
• Huntsmen's coats restored — the rich reds and details of the hunting dress, dulled by age, were brought back to their original vividness
• Hound detail recovered — the pack's individual forms, fur texture, and movement were clarified so the hounds read as living animals rather than a mass
• Shadow detail reopened — information lost in the darker areas of the horses' coats, the foreground, and the tree shadows was recovered, restoring genuine depth and form
• Landscape depth corrected — the parkland, middle distance, and horizon were separated and clarified, dramatically increasing the sense of space and English morning air
• Sky and light enhanced — cloud volume increased and the quality of early morning light was recovered, giving the scene the freshness and anticipation of a hunt morning
• Dynamic range increased — richer blacks, brighter highlights, and stronger colour separation, while fully respecting the character of the original

Why Collectors Love It

• A defining image of Georgian sporting life — the hunt morning captured at its most poised and atmospheric
• Horses, hounds, and huntsmen in perfect compositional balance, set against the English parkland Stubbs loved
• Meticulously restored and remastered to recover the painting's original freshness, colour, and depth
• Printed on premium archival museum stock for exceptional colour fidelity and longevity

Elliott Best Remastered prints are produced on premium archival museum stock for the finest colour fidelity and longevity.