English: Statuette, about 1640, Francesco Fanelli V&A Museum no. A.5-1953

Techniques - Cast bronze

Place - London, England

Dimensions - Height 19.1 cm, Width 9.6 cm (base), Depth 24.8 cm, Depth 15.6 cm (base)

Object Type - In the late 16th century, the Florentine sculptor Giovanni Bologna (1529-1608, active in Florence) and his followers were responsible for a significant output of sophisticated and high quality statuettes. These became dispersed throughout Europe and Charles I inherited a group from his elder brother, Henry, who died in 1612. They doubtless influenced both the King's taste and the imaginative production of Francesco Fanelli.

Materials & Making - Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, though its exact content can vary. Fanelli's 'bronzes' actually appear to be brass, which is a copper-zinc alloy, with a dark lacquer applied to the surface.

Ownership & Use -

Similar bronzes of equestrian subjects were produced by Fanelli for William Cavendish, the Earl (and later Duke) of Newcastle, governor of the future Charles II. A version of this bronze and a 'Cupid on Horseback' were listed in an inventory of the King's collection at Whitehall Palace in 1639. Both were sold from the royal collection in 1649, after Charles I's execution, but were traced by an agent of Charles II following the restoration of the monarchy. They are now at Windsor Castle.