I knew I needed these to offer to you the moment I saw them. This lovely pair of antique Victorian highly detailed sculptures of the famed Marly rearing horse and groom sculptures are after the stone originals by Guillaume Coustou and will look amazing on your mantle, or wherever you decide. These small replica sculptures were done by many different artists in the late 19th century and were all the rage. Most were never signed but show the original signature of Coustou on the base, as do these. This handsome pair are cast in spelter, an alloy of which zinc is the main constituent, and have an exquisite age patina. They are mounted on their original black painted wood bases. Each sculpture is similar but different.
The original stone Marly horse sculptures were commissioned by Louis XV of France for the trough at the entrance to the grounds of his chateau de Marly. These horses and grooms were Coustou’s last works and took him only two years to complete. The originals were moved in 1794 to the place de la Concorde and restored in 1840. However, in1984 because of damage being incurred by military parades they were moved to a courtyard in the Richelieu wing of the Louvre and replaced by marble copies made by Michel Bourbon.
You can own your own little piece of French history with this incredible pair. You need to make them yours!!
