The collection of the Tambov Art Gallery houses one of the maquettes for the famous groups of statues on the Anichkov Bridge in Saint Petersburg — “Rearing Horse” or “Horse with a Blanket”. The exhibit was created by the Academician, Honored Professor of the Imperial Academy of Arts, Active State Councilor, and sculptor Baron Pyotr Karlovich Clodt von Jürgensburg.
Clodt worked on the groups of statues for almost twenty years between 1833 and 1850: these works made up the best part of his legacy and brought him worldwide fame while he was still alive. The equestrian groups created by Clodt represent an extended dramatic series that develops one plot — taming the horse. Clodt’s idea is based on the theme of people’s victory over the forces of nature and the image of a rebellious force tamed by reason. The same idea was profoundly explored in Russian Classicism and given diverse, yet always allegorical interpretations. The sculptor’s vision of this theme marks a new stage in the development of sculpture and at the same time reflects the essential features of the advanced and realistic Russian aesthetics of the 1830s and 1840s. Clodt embodied the allegory in precise and relatable images. Even his contemporaries noted that Clodt’s realism and innovative approach were much more clearly manifested in the figures of animals rather than in those of humans. Designing the dramatic poses for athletes, he strove for the highest degree of verisimilitude and authenticity and invariably relied on his exact knowledge and experience, gained from many years of verified observations.
The presented cast iron sculpture was made at the Kasli factory — one of the oldest factories in Russia. It was founded in the Urals in 1747. The factory gained worldwide fame thanks to the talent of its casters, who turned heavy and rough cast iron into the thinnest and pliable material. The cast iron sculpture has a unique coating made of carbon black, which is the trademark of the factory, where the original molds and traditions of decorative casting have been preserved since the 19th century.
Clodt worked on the groups of statues for almost twenty years between 1833 and 1850: these works made up the best part of his legacy and brought him worldwide fame while he was still alive. The equestrian groups created by Clodt represent an extended dramatic series that develops one plot — taming the horse. Clodt’s idea is based on the theme of people’s victory over the forces of nature and the image of a rebellious force tamed by reason. The same idea was profoundly explored in Russian Classicism and given diverse, yet always allegorical interpretations. The sculptor’s vision of this theme marks a new stage in the development of sculpture and at the same time reflects the essential features of the advanced and realistic Russian aesthetics of the 1830s and 1840s. Clodt embodied the allegory in precise and relatable images. Even his contemporaries noted that Clodt’s realism and innovative approach were much more clearly manifested in the figures of animals rather than in those of humans. Designing the dramatic poses for athletes, he strove for the highest degree of verisimilitude and authenticity and invariably relied on his exact knowledge and experience, gained from many years of verified observations.
The presented cast iron sculpture was made at the Kasli factory — one of the oldest factories in Russia. It was founded in the Urals in 1747. The factory gained worldwide fame thanks to the talent of its casters, who turned heavy and rough cast iron into the thinnest and pliable material. The cast iron sculpture has a unique coating made of carbon black, which is the trademark of the factory, where the original molds and traditions of decorative casting have been preserved since the 19th century.
