Walking Horse with Hogged Mane and Saddlecloth Bearing the Vinta Coat of Arms

c. 1610

The coat of arms engraved on this horse’s saddle has recently been identified as belonging to Belisario Vinta, a member of the Medici court in Florence, who organized the commission of many sculptures by Giambologna. This highly detailed statuette—complete with delicate veins, folds of skin, and tiny tufts of hair—may have been ordered by Vinta for himself or given to him by the artist. Antonio Susini, one of Giambologna’s principal assistants, was probably responsible for modeling, casting, and finishing the bronze.

Medium	bronze
Dimensions	10 13/16 x 3 1/2 x 9 7/8 in. (27.5 x 8.9 x 25.1 cm)
Object Number	1955.1004
Acquisition	Acquired by Sterling and Francine Clark before 1955
Status	On View

Image Caption

Giovanni Bologna, called Giambologna, Walking Horse with Hogged Mane and Saddlecloth Bearing the Vinta Coat of Arms, c. 1610, bronze. Clark Art Institute, 1955.1004

Select Bibliography

Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh.. Giambologna, 1529-1608, Sculptor to the Medici, Aug. 19-Sept. 10, 1978; Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Oct. 5-Nov. 16, 1978; Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Dec. 2, 1978-Jan. 28, 1979. Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, MA. Glorious Horsemen: Equestrian Art in Europe, 1500-1800.. Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, MA, Sept. 27-Nov. 29, 1981; Speed Museum, Louisville, Ky. Jan. 11-Feb. 28, 1982.. Springfield, MA: Museum of Fine Arts. 1981. Strozzi, Beatrice Paolozzi and Dimitrios Zikos, ed. Giambologna: gli dei, gli eroi. Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Firenze, March 2- June 15, 2006. Frienze-Milano: Giunti Editore S.p.A. 2006.