IN THE MUSEUMS
Mercury on horseback on Pegasus and Fame on horseback on Pegasus – Louis XIV era
Made with chiselled bronze with a patina finish. The statues rest on darkened wood and tin pedestals that are adorned with chiselled, gilded, openwork bronze elements. Made during the first quarter of the eighteenth century.
Antoine Coysevox’s workshop
Donated by Mr and Mrs Charles Wrightsman.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, NEW YORK.
Mercury on horseback on Pegasus and Fame on horseback on Pegasus are mythological and allegorical bronze sculptures with a patina finish, based on a design by Antoine Coysevox. This is a prime example of Louis XIV’s reign: with its absolute sovereign, the kingdom of France liked to emphasise its military power. The style of these statues is very specific to that time; the next century saw a shift toward curving patterns and elegant lines. King Louis XIV made art a part of his political agenda; he used it to illustrate his power.
