COLLECTION NAME:
Art Collection
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UoEart~1~1
Art Collection
Collection
true
Work Record ID:
0016642
work_record_id
0016642
Work Record ID
false
ID Number:
EU0643
work_id_number
EU0643
ID Number
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Catalogue Number:
EU0643
work_catalogue_number
EU0643
Catalogue Number
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Title:
Anatomical Figure of a Horse (ecorche)
work_title
Anatomical Figure of a Horse (ecorche)
Title
false
Title Notes:
Text on copy-certificate by the University of Edinburgh: The Torrie Horse The Torrie horse is one of the finest examples of a sculptured horse surviving from the Renaissance. It was made in Florence by Giovanni da Bologna, most probably in the late 1580s. It was recorded in the Villa Mattei in Rome during the 17th and 18th centuries and was bought by Sir James Erskine of Torrie, Bart., who brought it to Scotland at the beginning of the 19th century. It was bequeathed to the University of Edinburgh by his with the rest of his collection of old master paintings and bronzes, and came into the possession of the University of Edinburgh in 1836. The horse is an écroché, showing the muscles of the animal in detail. Its original purpose is unknown, but it may have been made as a study for the equestrian statue of Duke Cosimo I of Florence cast in 1591 and which has stood in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence since that date. The écroché character gives the sculpture an extraordinary clarity and precision which is combined effortlessly with the grace and beauty of the living animal. This is evidence of a scientific as well as an artistic intention on the part of the artist and reveals the importance to him of the influence and example of Leonardo da Vinci. The most recent monumental equestrian sculpture in Florence, before that of the Duke Cosimo I, had been Leonardo's never completed monument to Gian Giacomo Trivulzio. The artist of the Torrie horse would have had Leonardo's studies for this bronze in mind, but, even more, he must have looked very carefully at the drawings and notes that Leonardo made for a projected treatise on the anatomy and proportions of the horse, reflecting the life-long fascination that it had for him. The Torrie horse bears a close relationship to several drawings by Leonardo related to this project in the collection of Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor. Other artists, too, knew and learned from Leonardo's study of the horse but none came so close as Giovanni da Bologna did here to his vision of the beauty of the animal celebrated by art and science together. Giovanni da Bologna was born in what is now Northern France in 1529. The name by which he is generally known is the Italian rendering of his French name, Jean de Boulogne but most of his working life was spent in Florence in the service of the Medici. He died in Florence in 1608. He knew Michelangelo as an old man and undoubtedly drew inspiration from him, as in the case of the bronze horse, he drew inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci, but he was a profoundly original artist in his won right and was one of the most influential sculptors in European history. He was an exceptionally fertile and inventive artist producing works of great beauty and originality which ranged from monumental designs for city squares to small bronzes and terra cottas. His bronzes especially have always been highly prized for their supreme elegance and fine quality of their finish.
work_title_info
Text on copy-certificate by the University of Edinburgh: The Torrie Horse The Torrie horse is one of the finest examples of a sculptured horse surviving from the Renaissance. It was made in Florence by Giovanni da Bologna, most probably in the late 1580s. It was recorded in the Villa Mattei in Rome during the 17th and 18th centuries and was bought by Sir James Erskine of Torrie, Bart., who brought it to Scotland at the beginning of the 19th century. It was bequeathed to the University of Edinburgh by his with the rest of his collection of old master paintings and bronzes, and came into the possession of the University of Edinburgh in 1836. The horse is an écroché, showing the muscles of the animal in detail. Its original purpose is unknown, but it may have been made as a study for the equestrian statue of Duke Cosimo I of Florence cast in 1591 and which has stood in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence since that date. The écroché character gives the sculpture an extraordinary clarity and precision which is combined effortlessly with the grace and beauty of the living animal. This is evidence of a scientific as well as an artistic intention on the part of the artist and reveals the importance to him of the influence and example of Leonardo da Vinci. The most recent monumental equestrian sculpture in Florence, before that of the Duke Cosimo I, had been Leonardo's never completed monument to Gian Giacomo Trivulzio. The artist of the Torrie horse would have had Leonardo's studies for this bronze in mind, but, even more, he must have looked very carefully at the drawings and notes that Leonardo made for a projected treatise on the anatomy and proportions of the horse, reflecting the life-long fascination that it had for him. The Torrie horse bears a close relationship to several drawings by Leonardo related to this project in the collection of Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor. Other artists, too, knew and learned from Leonardo's study of the horse but none came so close as Giovanni da Bologna did here to his vision of the beauty of the animal celebrated by art and science together. Giovanni da Bologna was born in what is now Northern France in 1529. The name by which he is generally known is the Italian rendering of his French name, Jean de Boulogne but most of his working life was spent in Florence in the service of the Medici. He died in Florence in 1608. He knew Michelangelo as an old man and undoubtedly drew inspiration from him, as in the case of the bronze horse, he drew inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci, but he was a profoundly original artist in his won right and was one of the most influential sculptors in European history. He was an exceptionally fertile and inventive artist producing works of great beauty and originality which ranged from monumental designs for city squares to small bronzes and terra cottas. His bronzes especially have always been highly prized for their supreme elegance and fine quality of their finish.
Title Notes
false
Creator:
da Bologna, Giovanni (b.1529, d.1608)
work_creator_details
da Bologna, Giovanni (b.1529, d.1608)
Creator
false
Date:
1585
work_display_date
1585
Date
false
Description:
flayed horse with raised right front and left rear feet, open mouth, upright neck and curly tail.The horse is an ecroche, showing the muscles of the animal in detail. The ecorche character gives the sculpture clarity and precision, combined with the grace and beauty of the living animal. This is evidence of a scientific as well as an artistic intention on the part of the artist and reveals the importance to him of the influence and example of Leonardo da Vinci.The horse bears a close relationship to several drawings by Da Vinci.
work_description
flayed horse with raised right front and left rear feet, open mouth, upright neck and curly tail.The horse is an ecroche, showing the muscles of the animal in detail. The ecorche character gives the sculpture clarity and precision, combined with the grace and beauty of the living animal. This is evidence of a scientific as well as an artistic intention on the part of the artist and reveals the importance to him of the influence and example of Leonardo da Vinci.The horse bears a close relationship to several drawings by Da Vinci.
Description
false
Material:
Bronze/Metal
work_material
Bronze/Metal
Material
false
Repository:
Art Collection
work_repository
Art Collection
Repository
false
Repository:
Object Lessons
work_repository
Object Lessons
Repository
false
Style or Period:
1580s
work_style_period_term
1580s
Style or Period
false
Style or Period:
16th century
work_style_period_term
16th century
Style or Period
false
Subject Category:
animal
work_subject_class
animal
Subject Category
false
Related Work Title:
The Torrie Collection
work_source
The Torrie Collection
Related Work Title
false
Related Work Page No:
p. 13-15
work_source_page_no
p. 13-15
Related Work Page No
false
Related Work Creator:
Macmillan, Duncan
work_source_creator
Macmillan, Duncan
Related Work Creator
false
Rights Statement:
© The copyright holder
work_rights_statement
© The copyright holder
Rights Statement
false
Tag:
Horse
tag
Horse
Tag
false
Tag:
Metal
tag
Metal
Tag
false
Repro Title:
Anatomical Figure of a Horse (ecorche)
repro_title
Anatomical Figure of a Horse (ecorche)
Repro Title
false
Repro ID Number:
0016642c-0002
repro_id_number
0016642c-0002
Repro ID Number
false
Repro Publication Status:
Full public access
repro_publication_status
Full public access
Repro Publication Status
false