Patient cob Bob was the mane event at Wentworth Woodhouse’s George Stubbs-inspired art class

Nine artists had jumped at the chance to spend a morning sketching the sturdy and mild-mannered horse, under the tutelage of a professional artist, in the mansion’s historic Chapel Court area.

Then it was off to seek inspiration from some rather more streamlined equine beauties, captured in oils by one of Britain's most iconic artists, before picking up their paints and brushes to bring Bob’s image to life.

The all-day Horse Drawn Workshop, which runs again on October 27, is one of several art experiences running alongside Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust’s current exhibition showcasing the work of George Stubbs.

Beneath the Surface: George Stubbs & Contemporary Artists, runs until Sunday November 3 and celebrates both the artist’s 300th anniversary, and his important connection to the Rotherham stately home.

In 1762, Stubbs spent almost a year at Wentworth Woodhouse, creating seven oil paintings of the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham’s favourite horses and dogs.

Four of these paintings feature in the Arts Council England funded exhibition, the Trust’s most ambitious to date.

Beneath The Surface also features three other works by Stubbs and a collection of thought-provoking pieces by leading contemporary artists, including Mark Wallinger and Tracey Emin.

Another of the seven Stubbs created at Wentworth Woodhouse - a larger-than-life painting of the racehorse Whistlejacket - went on to be described as one of the most important of the 18th century. It hung at the mansion until the 1970s and was bought for the nation in 1997 by the National Gallery London, where it is on permanent display.

A replica has hung in the mansion’s Whistlejacket Room ever since - and it is this image to which the Sheffield artist leading the Trust’s Horse Drawn workshops credits with shaping his destiny.

Richard Johnson grew up in Thorpe Hesley and Wentworth and as a teen, was taken to see the image by his friend, the 10th Earl Fitzwilliam’s head gamekeeper Harry Gale.

Richard is now a well-known landscape artist. He has a studio in Sheffield’s Yorkshire Art Space, was one of the Peak District’s official artists in residence and is a life-drawing tutor at the Millennium Galleries for Museums Sheffield.

He has an abiding interest in Stubbs and his time in Rotherham and was delighted to lead the workshops.

“Life-drawing is all about observing and developing skills which underpin everything, artistically. It enabled Stubbs to capture not just a horse’s physicality, but also its character. We got the same opportunity with Bob, who was brought along by Stacey Furniss from the Trust’s Housekeeping team,” said Richard.

“Being able to head up to the State Rooms to see Stubbs’ work, the very best of equine art, and discuss his techniques was a magical and inspirational experience.”

The Trust, which took ownership of Wentworth Woodhouse in 2017, strives to give art and culture opportunities to local people. Its Exhibition and Interpretation Manager Jen Booth, said: “Our Beneath The Surface exhibition explores Stubbs’ attention to detail, the compassion with which he paints his subjects and his ability to bring animals to life with his brush.

“We created our workshop to complement the exhibition. By bringing in Bob the horse for the class, art enthusiasts got the chance to dig a little deeper, hone their drawing skills, and try to capture his personality.”

Doncaster artist Brenda took part in the workshop: A riding accident 13 years ago brought art-lover Brenda Russell-Neville back to her brushes.

She had stopped painting in her 20s due to lack of time, but that was something there was plenty of after she broke her pelvis in a riding accident.

“I had to rest for weeks. So I got my paints out and art became a big part of my life; it absorbs and relaxes me and I am always looking for classes which will expand my skills,” said the Bawtry 61-year-old, a member of DHL’s global commercial team.

She is now treasurer of Doncaster Art Group, a 45-strong club keen to attract new members.

“When I heard about the Wentworth Woodhouse workshop, I jumped at it. I’ve ridden for 45 years and owned a horse, but you rarely get an opportunity to draw one standing for an artist,” said Brenda.

“Bob the cob, though a bit rounder than the horses in Stubbs’ paintings, was a very patient subject. But even so, you can’t keep a horse still for long, so we had to speed-sketch. I focussed on one part for each sketch, then brought them together for my water-colour painting, which I worked on in the afternoon session.

“In the exhibition, it was fascinating to see the shift from earlier artistic representations of horses to the work Stubbs produced. His subjects were shown in movement and not only the stance, but each muscle, was correct. Richard was a great teacher and talked through Stubbs’ methodology, which was really insightful.”

• Horse Drawn Workshops are suitable for amateur and professional artists at intermediate level or above. Places on Sunday October 27th (9.30am-4pm) cost £70, including refreshments. Book at https://wentworthwoodhouse.org.uk/whats-on/beneath-the-surface-horse-drawn-workshop/

• Beneath the Surface: George Stubbs & Contemporary Artists Exhibition runs until Sunday November 3, 10am-5pm, and is free to view with a house admission ticket. To book, go to https://wentworthwoodhouse.org.uk/whats-on/beneath-the-surface/