A pacing horse

Ultimately derived from Giambologna’s bronze model of a pacing horse, the present example is one of only a few casts on a slightly smaller scale which are attributed to the French sculptor Barthélemy Prieur (1536-1611). Most casts, as with the present example, present the horse with a clipped mane; other known bronzes of this type can be found in the Bargello Museum, Florence, the Robert H. Smith Collection (now National Gallery, Washington) and one offered at Sotheby’s Paris, 26 June, 2019, lot 39. A variant cast, with a flowing mane, formed part of the Michael Hall Collection (Christie’s New York, 11 June, 2010, lot 169).