da Vinci Horse Cast in 19th Century

Dating bronze, especially through connoisseurship has always been a difficult proposition. Here is an example of one attribution being about 400 years off. The Irish Times is reporting current forensic test results of a bronze that was supposedly cast from a model by or after Leonardo da Vinci in the 15th century is really from the late 19th century. Kathryn Hayes of the Irish Times states the da Vinci bronze horse was one of the most popular exhibits at the Hunt Museum in Limerick. The bronze horse was purchased for 400 pounds from Sotheby's in the late 1960's and described as “bronze figure of a rearing horse, cast from a model by Leonardo da Vinci”. Here we have a very good example of forensic analysis and modern day science disputing long excepted connoisseur attributions.

Hayes reports forensic tests carried out as part of an international research project examining Renaissance bronzes have found the Hunt horse was “unquestionably more recent”, and possibly late 19th century. According to conservators at the National Gallery of Art in Washington the bronze horse differs in alloy and fracture from the other horses which are held at museums in New York, Budapest and London.

“The study revealed that the stylistic differences and the composition of the bronze alloy with no silver or arsenic, only possible after the introduction of electrolytic refining of copper in the last 19th century, indicate that the Hunt bronze is unquestionably more recent than the other horses in the series.”

According to the director of the Hunt Museum, Virginia Teehan, very little was known about the piece apart from the fact that it was purchased in good faith by the Hunts at Sotheby’s and the catalogue for that sale attributed it to Leonardo da Vinci.

Hayes continues “Recent advances in technology have made it possible to examine objects in much greater forensic detail. The focus of museum work is to research the objects contained in the collection and this can yield unexpected results,” she added.

According to Ms Teehan the Hunt Museum was “pleased and privileged” to participate in the National Gallery of Art study, which was also part of background research for the forthcoming exhibition – The Budapest Horse: A Leonardo da Vinci Puzzle due to open in Washington on July 3rd.

“This valuable work contributes important technical information which is central to the provenance research work currently being undertaken by the museum.

To read the full Irish Times article, click HERE.