Twee bronzen sculpturen van paarden bij de ingang van het koninklijk paleis te Napels, Italië 1856 - 1914

Giorgio Sommer captured the bronze horse sculptures at the entrance of the Royal Palace in Naples in this photograph. The rearing horse, a motif as old as antiquity, symbolizes power, virility, and control. We see echoes of this symbol across time, from the equestrian statues of Roman emperors to Renaissance depictions of triumphant leaders. Consider, for example, the Marcus Aurelius statue in Rome. The horse becomes a vessel, a tool for projecting authority. Yet, here in Naples, the restrained drama suggests a civilization grappling with its past glories. The horse, once a symbol of untamed strength, appears now as a cultivated symbol of dynastic power. This taming reflects our own psychological taming of primal instincts, channeled into the service of order and legacy. The symbol resurfaces, always transformed, a constant negotiation between the wild and the civilized, the past and the present.