Nothern Follower of Giambologna First half 17th century

Dark brown lacquer over golden brown patina with standard wear and surface abrasions/scratches. Very minor casting crack to proper right front leg of one horse. Beautiful color.
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. Illustrations in the catalogue may not be actual size. Prospective purchasers are reminded that, unless the catalogue description specifically states that a stone is natural, we have assumed that some form of treatment may have been used and that such treatment may not be permanent. Our presale estimates reflect this assumption.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

RELATED LITERATURE

Charles Avery and Anthony Radcliffe, Giambologna, Sculptor to the Medici, exh. cat., Edinburgh, London, Vienna, 1978, p. 183, no. 165
Maria Guilia Barberini et. al., Roma: il Palazzo di Venezia e le sue collezioni di scultura, Museo nazionale del Palazzo di Venezia, Rome, 2012
Collecting reductions of monumental equestrian statues of monarchs and small bronze statuettes in general became a pastime of sovereigns as well as scholarly and affluent members of society in the Renaissance. Many of Giambologna’s pupils and successors who were responsible for spreading the influence of their master’s art abroad were, like him, not Italian. Adrien de Vries, Hubert Gerhard, and Hans Reichle were, for example, from the north, where a tradition of bronze casting existed long before Giambologna left his native Flanders for Florence.
The model for these fine bronzes ultimately derives from Giambologna’s monumental equestrian statues, such his bronze of Philip IV in Madrid, and his large statuettes of Louis XIII in the Bargello and Carlo Emmanuelle of Savoy in the Lowenburg  Kässel, all realized by Pietro Tacca, the master’s chief pupil and follower.
The distinctive treatment of the flared upper lip, the bared teeth and large eyes evident in this bronze is seen in some of Tacca’s work. However, these features combined with a previously assumed association with a pair of leaping horse statuettes given to Ferdinando Tacca, Pietro’s son and successor, have given rise to a multitude of misattributions through the years. It is more likely that the present casts, a closely related bronze in the Rijskmuseum and two others that have appeared on the art market in the last two decades, are adaptations of the Giambologna model by Northern followers of his Florentine school. These sculptors would have been well acquainted with Giambologna’s grand equestrian portraits as well as those painted by Rubens. Here the sculptor was able to adapt the forms of the mane and tail to a more luxuriant Baroque style. In the aforementioned casts of this model, the legs are slimmer and the hooves smaller than the Giambologna prototype.

We would like to thank Anthea Brook for her generous comments on this model.