AFTER MODELS BY FRANCESCO FANELLI (CIRCA 1590-1653)ANGLO-ITALIAN, 17TH CENTURY | Pair of Horses

Overall the condition of the bronzes is good, with minor wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. There is some rubbing to the lacquer patina, in particular at the high points such as the haunches. There is minor flaking to the lacquer patina. There are a few minor nicks and scratches, including to the proper left haunch of the leaping horse, and to the proper right shoulder of the grazing horse. There are a few very small surface lacunae, consistent with casting, including to the back of the neck of the leaping horse. A few original casting plugs are slightly visible, notably to the haunches of the grazing horse. The horses are cast separately from the bases. The underside of the grazing horse's base is filled with wax.
"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, and were instrumental in establishing the vogue for baroque sculpture. King Charles I is recorded to have owned five statues by Fanelli. The present lot shows two of Fanelli's models - the Leaping Horse and the Stallion Grazing. The Leaping Horse served as a model for many of Fanelli's equestrian groups, and reappears with slight variations in his Cupid on Horseback and the Saint George and the Dragon (of which a model was sold in these rooms, 5 December 2017, lot 68). Fanelli also produced variants of the Stallion Grazing, which show the horse drinking from a trough. One of Fanelli's most consistent patrons, the Duke of Newcastle, purchased casts of all these models for Welbeck Abbey, where they remained until they were dispersed at auction in the 18th century.   RELATED LITERATURE
J. Pope-Hennessy, 'Some Bronzes by Francesco Fanelli', Essays on Italian Sculpture, London, 1968, pp. 166-71; M. Leithe-Jasper and P. Wengraf, European Bronzes from the Quentin Collection, exh. cat. The Frick Collection, New York, 2004, no. 20, pp. 210-213