This project restored an extraordinary bronze sculpture of the head of a horse, which dates to the second half of the fourth century BC. During the Renaissance Donatello used this as a model for his works, as did Leonardo da Vinci. The head was once part of a full statue of a horse, but the body of the horse has been lost to history.
After restoration, this important sculpture appeared in the Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi. From July to early November 2015 the exhibit was on view at The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Its final venue in the United States is the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, where the sculpture will be displayed until March 20, 2016.
This project was submitted for consideration for the 2nd Friends of Florence/Salone del Restauro grant and the conservator for the restoration was Nicola Salvioli.
