Monumental pair of French bronze Marly horses with pedestals

This pair of patinated bronze statues depict rearing horses with hints of gilding, with a muscular standing male attendant wearing drapery around his waist and holding the reins in his hands. Each resting on a tall green marble pedestal with circular base, one horse facing right the other left.

This model of a horse restrained by a groom is known as the Marly Horses because they are after the famous 17th century Carrara marble sculptures by Guillaume Coustou (French, 1677-1746), commissioned in 1739 for the horse pond in the gardens of the Château de Marly. Coustou was probably inspired by the antique statues of the Dioscuri with their rearing horses in front of the Quirinal Palace in Rome, but above all drew inspiration from nature, studying the movements of men and horses from live models. The novelty of his work lies in the absence of mythological and allegorical references, instead he has chosen to represent the struggle between an untamed horse and a semi naked man with an athletic figure.

Since they were originally executed the horses were considered masterpieces and were spared the fate of the Chateau de Marly, which was destroyed during the French Revolution. In 1795, they were placed at the bottom of the Champs-Elysees. They were moved to the Musee du Louvre, Paris (M.R. 1802-3) and replaced by copies in the Place de la Concorde and at Marly.

Soon after their execution, the Marly Horses were reinterpreted in various mediums, including patinated bronze. One such example can be found in the Royal Collection (RCIN 44189).

Horses: Height 76cm, width 60cm, depth 32cm
Pedestals: Height 92cm, width 65cm, depth 36cm