Trotting Horse c. 1620 - 1640

Curator: What a radiant piece. This bronze sculpture is "Trotting Horse," believed to have been crafted by Pietro Tacca around 1620 to 1640. Editor: Yes, it feels Baroque to me: all controlled dynamism and glimmers of status. The gilded bronze absolutely captures and reflects the light, imbuing the animal with... I don’t know, a spirited grandeur. Curator: The stance certainly lends to that reading, doesn’t it? With only three points of contact on the base, it creates the illusion that the horse might leap from the platform at any moment. And notice how Tacca meticulously captures the musculature – the powerful haunches, the sinewy legs... Editor: That contrapposto! It’s not just about anatomy, though. It’s the slight turn of the head, the delicate flaring of the nostrils. Tacca clearly wasn’t just aiming for verisimilitude, but injecting character. But... isn't this a somewhat idealised vision of power? Curator: Ah, you wound me with your cynicism. Well, I tend to agree. You can consider the function that bronze sculptures served in elite circles during this period— they communicated not just artistry but prestige. Editor: A tiny, frozen, gleaming, emblem. Speaking of glimmers, the high-contrast black and warm mottled, patterned colours in the stand’s panels offer more dynamic elements. Curator: That’s a later addition to Tacca's piece. What strikes me most profoundly is the interplay between stillness and motion—a theme common to Tacca’s equestrian bronzes. You have this robust animal frozen mid-stride. The movement seems to transcend time. Editor: Yes, a perpetual instant of magnificent movement... But also, slightly unsettling—like a still from a film just before something momentous happens. Its beauty has a poised quality. Curator: Exactly. Thank you for allowing my to be eloquent with you, today! Editor: Anytime. That little horse brought something out of you, my friend!