2772 - Andrea del Verrocchio (1435 Florence – 1488 Venice), after

Andrea del Verrocchio (1435 Florence – 1488 Venice), after the equestrian statue of the condottiero Bartolomeo Colleoni Bronze, with a dark brown patina. Marble plinth. A finely executed 19th-century cast; a scaled-down version of the famous large equestrian statue in Venice, which ranks among Verrocchio’s most important works and, alongside the ancient equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, is one of the most significant equestrian statues of all time. In 1483, the Florentine Renaissance artist was commissioned by the Republic of Venice to create an equestrian statue in memory of the mercenary leader (condottiero) Bartolomeo Colleoni. It was not cast until 1496, after his death, by Alessandro Leopardi based on the finished clay model, and erected on the Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice. The dynamic equestrian statue is not only an impressive, awe-inspiring depiction of the commander and his forces in and of itself, but should also be understood as a demonstrative symbol of Venice’s power. The Colleoni influenced the development of equestrian statues well into the 19th century and was copied many times, both in monumental versions (erected in London, Hanover, Stettin, and Newark) and in smaller versions for upper-class interiors. Total height: 75 cm. After Andrea del Verrocchio (1435–1488). Dark brown patinated bronze on a marble base. 19th-century cast.