Lot 62
  • 62

Workshop of Francesco Fanelli (1577- after 1642), Anglo-Italian, 17th century

Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
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Description

  • leaping horse
  • gilt bronze, on a verona marble base
  • Anglo-Italian, 17th century
with two recent export stamps on the underside of the base

Provenance

Christie's London, 6 December 1988, lot 186

Condition

Overall the condition of the bronze is good. There is wear and some dirt to the surface consistent with age. The gilding has been refreshed. There is wear to the gilding at the high points. There is a small area visible on the back of the horse with casting flaws that have been pegged. There are two filled holes to the top of the base.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Francesco Fanelli's Leaping Horse serves as the model for a number of the sculptor's equestrian groups. The model reappears, with slight variations in the angle of levitation and in details such as the tail, in his St George and the Dragon and Cupid on Horseback. A bronze in the Quentin Collection shows the horse leaping at a more pronounced angle. The present bronze compares particularly closely with the horse in a cast of St George and the Dragon in the Victoria and Albert Museum [inv. A.5-1953], both in the angle of the horse's leap and in the modelling of the tail.

RELATED LITERATURE
J. Pope-Hennessy, 'Some Bronze Statuettes by Francesco Fanelli,' in Essays on Italian Sculpture, London and New York, 1968, pp. 166-171; S. Stock, 'Fanelli, Francesco (b. 1577),' in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford, 2004, online edn, Jan 2008; M. Leithe-Jasper and P. Wengraf, European Bronzes from the Quentin Collection, exh. cat. Frick Collection, New York, 2004-2005, no. 20, pp. 210-213