Pair of patinated bronze antique models of the Marly horses

After the model by Guillaume Coustou (French, 1677-1746).

Each of a rearing horses restrained by a semi clad male attendant, on a naturalistic base.

The present bronze groups are based on the celebrated marbles by Guillaume Coustou which were originally commissioned for the gardens at the Chateau de Marly in 1739. They were subsequently moved by the painter Jacques-Louis David to the entrance of the Champs Élysées in Paris in 1794 and are today housed in the collections of the Musée du Louvre in Paris. Coustou’s famed rearing horses restrained by grooms were among the most important sculptures created in the 18th century, and were recreated in a variety of sizes and materials throughout the 19th century and into the 20th century.