“Prince of Wales Phaeton” is a genre painting executed by George Stubbs in 1793, using oil on canvas. This artwork is associated with the Romanticism art movement and is currently housed in the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace, London, UK.
The artwork depicts an intimate outdoor scene of a phaeton, a type of carriage. Two elegant black horses are harnessed to the phaeton, their powerful musculature accentuated by the artist’s deft brushwork. A stout man clad in a red coat and black hat stands beside one of the horses, holding its bridle while seemingly conversing or giving instructions. A domestic dog, with a lush white and black coat, is positioned in the foreground, rearing up on its hind legs towards the carriage, adding a lively and dynamic element to the scene. To the right, a young groom is attending to the carriage, further enhancing the tableau of equine and human interaction. A leafy tree in the background complements the tranquil ambiance, while the expansive sky, partly clouded with patches of blue, imbues the scene with a sense of open space and natural beauty.
