Cheval de Marley by (After) Guillaume Coustou (French, 1677-1746) Signed in base: Coustou Bronze Early 20th century 19 x 15 7/8 x 7 ¼ inches Condition: Good; appraiser did not inspect the sculpture in person; only photos were provided Description: A half nude man stands below a horse rearing its front legs in the air, attempting to tame the equine animal. The man holds the bridal attached to the horse his is right hand, while his left hand holds a rod. He is in an active lunge position, with his arm out-stretched, working hard to contain the bucking horse. On the base of the sculpture is a small organic floral element, designed to look like the fleur de lis, the royal arms of France. Artist Background: Guillaume Coustou the Elder (1677-1746) was a French sculptor and academician. Coustou was the younger brother of French sculptor Nicolas Coustou and the pupil of his mother’s brother, Antoine Coysevox. Like his brother, he was employed by Louis XIV and Louis XV. His finest works are the famous group of the "Horse Tamers" (Chevaux de Marly), which reinvent the theme of the colossal Roman marbles of the Horse Tamers in the Piazza Quirinale, Rome. They were commissioned by Louis XV in 1739 and installed in 1745 at the Abreuvoir ("Horse Trough") at Marly. The familiar versions at the entrance to the Champs-Élysées, Paris are cast reproductions. Market Analysis: The subject sculpture is a, smaller, loss wax bronze copy of the original sculpture which was displayed in the Abreuvoir at Marly. The original sculptures, known as Chevaux de Marly are a pair, and the subject sculpture is a copy of one of the pairs. Numerous copies of this famous work have been created, especially during the early part of the 20th century. Most recently, other copies similar in material and size have sold in the auction market for a range of $1,000-$5,000.1 For example, in February 2014, Bruun Rasmussen (Copenhagen, Denmark) sold a version of this sculpture for approximately $1,440 (including Buyer’s Premium). In May 2013, Historia Auctionshaus (Berlin, Germany) sold another copy of this work, with a different arm positioning and slightly larger, measuring 30 inches, for approximately $4,925 (including Buyer’s Premium.) I researched the gallery and secondary dealer market for copies of the subject property available for sale. A version of the sculpture, similar in size is available for immediate purchase through a dealer on 1st Dibs for $2,575, discounted from $3,750. I noted this work, in addition to the difference in the arm position of the figure, also lacks the fleur de lis on the base. 1 Numerous copies of this sculpture, with variations in the figures arms and size have appeared at auction within the past ten years, however a majority have failed to sell. The prices mentioned in the Market Analysis are realized sale prices reported to various auction databases. .