Antique pair of silvered bronze models of the Marly horses

Each of the two models is cast into the shape of a rearing horse restrained by a semi clad male attendant, standing on a naturalistic base signed 'COUSTOU'.

This silvered bronze group has been cast after the famous marble sculptures by Guillaume Coustou, which were made in 1739 for the Chateau de Marly. After being moved in 1794 by the celebrated painter Jacques-Louis David to the Champs Elysees, Paris, they came to be housed at the Louvre Museum, Paris. The original horses by Coustou were one of the most revered sculptures made during the 18th Century, and become a popular model to recreate on a smaller scale throughout the 19th Century.