The Medici Riccardi Horse at The Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Florence by Oliver Laric

Description

This horse is straining at the bit with nostrils flared and veins bulging. It was likely part of an equestrian sculpture commemorating a powerful leader or general. One of the challenges ancient sculptors faced was how to render a horse that was wild and forceful yet also controlled by its rider. There is an interesting feature that appears on a number of the surviving equestrian statues from antiquity which is that one ear of the horse is inclined forwards and one backwards. The ear facing forwards is to meet any challenges ahead, the ear turned backwards was to hear the commands or the demands of the rider. So a powerful horse like this adds to the impression of the strength, control and power of the rider. The heavy neck of a stallion, the lips drawn back as the rider applies pressure to the bit, the wrinkles below the horse's jaw as he strains to move forward. It's an utterly naturalistic rendering. You can practically tell what the breed of the horse might be. The lifesize sculpture once belonged to the powerful rennaissance ruler, Lorenzo de Medici, which stood in the garden of his palace in Florence where many artists admried and copied it. In the 17th century, the horse was turned into a fountain where water spurted from the top of the head. Possibly originating from Rome, the horse’s head must have been part of an antique equestrian monument. The dating of the work is greatly debated. Recently the technique of the gilding and the style of the modelling have led…