born Aug. 24, 1724, Liverpool, Eng.
died July 10, 1806, London
British animal painter and anatomical draftsman.
Son of a prosperous tanner, he was briefly apprenticed to a painter but was basically self-taught. His masterly depictions of hunters and racehorses brought him innumerable commissions. Perhaps more impressive than the single portraits are his pictures of informal groups of horses, such as Mares and Foals in a Landscape (с 1760–70). He also painted many other animals, including lions, tigers, giraffes, monkeys, and rhinoceroses, which he was able to observe in private menageries. His book The Anatomy of the Horse (1762), containing 18 masterfully engraved plates, was widely acclaimed.