Cheval Ispahan, Base In Bronze

The name speaks of Persia and its parade horses, but the model comes from elsewhere: Félix Agostini drew on the Horse of Mustapha Pasha painted by Antoine-Jean Gros in 1810, whose canvas he had copied for himself. As in the painting, the mount has lost its rider in the battle. Created in 1960, the sculpture reduces the animal to essentials: arched neck, plumed mane, trembling fringe of the caparison. The 24-carat gilding and the fire patina play over the body, matte in the hollow of the chased flanks. A base of black marble or bronze isolates the silhouette.