Anatomical Figure of a Horse (ecorche) (1585)
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| Artist | Giambologna (French b.1529, d.1608) ; Giambologna, Workshop of (estab. 1553, closed 1608) |
|---|---|
| Title | Anatomical Figure of a Horse (ecorche) |
| Date | 1585 |
| Period | 16th century ; 1580s |
| Description | This extraordinary piece lies at the heart of the Torrie Collection. It portrays the flayed figure of a horse and is thought to have come from the studio of Giambologna; the most influential sculptor in Europe after Michelangelo. The sculpture captures the quest of Renaissance artists to understand the mechanics of the body ‘under the skin’. A clear visual relationship exists between the sculpture and woodcuts printed in the first published thesis on equine anatomy; Carlo Ruini’s Anatomia del Cavallo (1598). The sculpture almost certainly informed the illustrations, testifying to the astonishing anatomical detail. |
| Material | bronze (metal)/copper alloy/nonferrous metal/metal/inorganic material/materials (substances) ; plywood/plant material/materials (substances) |
| Dimensions | 90.2 x 87.3 x 23 cm. plinth: 81.1 x 41.6 x 7 cm |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Subject | animal |
| Collection | Art Collection ; Object Lessons ; Torrie Collection |
| Accession Number | EU0643 |