Workshop of Francesco Fanelli (1577-after 1642) Anglo-Italian, circa 1630-1640

Sir John Wyndham Pope-Hennessy, Florence 
and thence by descent to the present owner

Overall the condition of the bronze is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The bronze is cast in sections and the horse is slightly loose on the base. The horse's tail appears to be cast separately, a joint is visible and there are a number of very small lacunae around the buttocks. There is some material under the tail. The dragon's proper left paw is cast separately and a joint is visible, with a possible small loss. The top of the spear appears to be lost. The spear is slightly bent, and the corners of the base turn upwards very slightly. There are a number of minor casting flaws, including a fissure to St George's proper right arm and a few lacunae, such as to the base. There are one or two original casting plugs and a small spigot to the proper left side of St George's waist. There are a few spots of greening and white residues.
"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."

Francesco Fanelli's equestrian bronzes were highly celebrated in seventeenth-century England. George Vertue wrote that 'he had a particular genius for these works and was much esteemed in King Charles I time – and afterwards.' Fanelli's bronzes were instrumental in establishing the vogue for Baroque sculpture in England. According to Abraham van der Doort's 1639 inventory of the Royal Collection, Charles I owned five statuettes by Fanelli, including 'a little St. George on horseback with a dragon by.' The present bronze is an excellent example of the superb decorative qualities for which Fanelli's statuettes were so appreciated.

St George and the Dragon exists in two principal compositions. The present bronze is taken from the first, in which Fanelli adapted his model of the Leaping Horse, a work which can be identified by its extended hind legs and pronounced twist of the head. St George leans backwards and is represented with both hands gripping the lance. Examples of this first type are in the V&A (inv. no. A.5-1953) and at Welbeck Abbey, with slight variations (Pope-Hennessy, op.cit., p. 169, fig. 195). In his second variant of the subject of St George, Fanelli used his model of the Rearing Horse, where the saint leans forward, grasping the reigns of the horse with one hand, while lancing the dragon with the other. A cast of this model is in the Holburne Museum, Bath (Pope-Hennessy, op.cit., p. 169, n. 23, fig. 193). 

RELATED LITERATURE
J. Pope-Hennessy, 'Some bronzes by Francesco Fanelli', Essays on Italian sculpture, London, 1968, pp. 166-71; P. Wengraf, 'Francesco Fanelli & sons in Italy and London, on a grander scale', European bronzes from the Quentin Collection, exh. cat. The Frick Collection, New York, 2004, pp. 30-53; S. Stock, 'Fanelli, Francesco (b. 1577)', Oxford dictionary of national biography, Oxford, 2004; B. Van Beneden and N. de Poorter, Royalist refugees. William and Margaret Cavendish in the Rubens House 1648-1660, exh. cat. Rubenshuis, Antwerp, 2006, pp. 198-199, no. 59