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Lot Essay
Possibly the first mention of this model is in the Blondel de Gagny sale, Paris, 10 December 1776, which includes as lot 1028:
'Une grille de cheminée composée de deux chevaux posés sur de beaux trophies de guerre qui servent de pieds; ce sont les modèles de Coustout qui on servi pour les deux chevaux qui sont à la tête de l'abreuvoir de Marly; ils sont dorés d'or moulu, & viennent du garde meuble du Roi.'
Guillaume Coustou (d. 1746) was commissioned to supply wax models to replace Coysevox's cavaliers, which overlooked the watering place at the château de Marly in 1719. Executed from a solid block of Carrara marble, the Marly horses were hailed as the greatest sculptures of the 'new age'. The Coustou horses, although similar to the Wildenstein model, are more vigorous and the horses are held by men; it is therefore also possible that this model was inspired by the Marlys' Horses of Apollo, after designs by Charles Le Brun, which were intended for Versailles.
The Wildenstein horses display a heavy cast and the tails of the horses are apparently cast intrinsically, rather than welded on - which would point to a 19th century date of manufacture. They do, however, display the blank replacements to the cartouches which would, presumably have carried Royal arms - in theory more indicative of a pre-Revolutionary cast. A pair of chenets of identical design, with replaced French Royal coats-of-arms to the medallion of the base and signed by Antoine Zacharie Solon (maître fondeur in 1756), was sold anonymously at Etude Ader Picard Tajan, Paris, 20 October 1990, lot 168, and again at Sotheby's New York, 22 May 1997, lot 113. That this model was made in the 19th century is confirmed by a pair of 19th century copies sold at Christie's London, 2 December 1998, lot 86 (£76,300).
'Une grille de cheminée composée de deux chevaux posés sur de beaux trophies de guerre qui servent de pieds; ce sont les modèles de Coustout qui on servi pour les deux chevaux qui sont à la tête de l'abreuvoir de Marly; ils sont dorés d'or moulu, & viennent du garde meuble du Roi.'
Guillaume Coustou (d. 1746) was commissioned to supply wax models to replace Coysevox's cavaliers, which overlooked the watering place at the château de Marly in 1719. Executed from a solid block of Carrara marble, the Marly horses were hailed as the greatest sculptures of the 'new age'. The Coustou horses, although similar to the Wildenstein model, are more vigorous and the horses are held by men; it is therefore also possible that this model was inspired by the Marlys' Horses of Apollo, after designs by Charles Le Brun, which were intended for Versailles.
The Wildenstein horses display a heavy cast and the tails of the horses are apparently cast intrinsically, rather than welded on - which would point to a 19th century date of manufacture. They do, however, display the blank replacements to the cartouches which would, presumably have carried Royal arms - in theory more indicative of a pre-Revolutionary cast. A pair of chenets of identical design, with replaced French Royal coats-of-arms to the medallion of the base and signed by Antoine Zacharie Solon (maître fondeur in 1756), was sold anonymously at Etude Ader Picard Tajan, Paris, 20 October 1990, lot 168, and again at Sotheby's New York, 22 May 1997, lot 113. That this model was made in the 19th century is confirmed by a pair of 19th century copies sold at Christie's London, 2 December 1998, lot 86 (£76,300).