Research point: George Stubbs

George Stubbs is a household name, I would go so far as to say. His anatomical studies are recognisable across the globe. Why? Because they are extraordinary. He was obsessed with anatomy as a child and used this innate fascination to produce very accurate depictions of the living, or indeed dead beings around him. Seeing these images helps us to get to grips with what we're made of and why we move the way we do.

Stubbs' incredible ability to capture exact proportions, texture, tone, etc enabled him to produce paintings so admirable that he had soon secured a healthy income through commissions from various Dukes and other aristocrats. The fact that he took time to study his subjects literally inside and out meant his understanding of their make up and therefore their true to life appearance was unmatched by fellow artists. He understood the way a body moves when running for example, because he knew where and how the muscles would appear under the skin having studied the dead beast in a still life session.

Of course Stubbs would have drawn on site in front of the live animals too in order to recreate the scenes he wanted for his painting, but it would have been these initial anatomical drawings that gave him the upper hand.