During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, European artists fanatically copied Greek and Roman originals and faithfully imitated their styles as a tribute to European Classical heritage. This sculpture of a horse head recalls the famed fragment of the horse of Selene from the east pediment of the Parthenon, brought to London by Lord Elgin and displayed at the British Museum in 1816.The ancient Greeks revered horses as the most beautiful and perfectly created of all animals, being the handiwork of Poseidon. Those who were wealthy enough to own horses derived prestige from their holdings and often gave names to their children that hinted at the family’s connection to horses. For the Romans, the social class just below that of the senatorial was the equestrian class, commonly known today as knights. That is to say that these families were wealthy enough to own horses and in warfare, their sons were eligible to serve in the cavalry. Neo-Classical Marble Sculpture of a Horse Head - SP.027Origin: Europe Circa: 19 th Century ADDimensions: 10.25" (26.0cm) high x 13" (33.0cm) wide x 4.25" (10.8cm) depth Collection: Decorative Style: Neo-Classical Medium: Marble

Sculpture