Equestrian statue of Philip IV in Madrid Spain

CountrySpain
Town:Madrid
Year of creation:1640
Rider(s):Philip IV

(1605–1665) is remembered for his patronage of the arts, including such artists as Diego Velázquez, and his rule over Spain during the challenging period of the Thirty Years War (1618–48). Philip is still felt to have been ‘unduly pious’ in his personal life, but this did not stop him becoming known for a long line of mistress’s. He handed over affairs of state to Count-Duke Olivares, who tried bravely, but retired a broken man in 1643. Spain lost Portugal and faced revolts in Sicily, Naples and Catalonia. Silver shipments from the Americas shrank disastrously. On the eve of his death in 1665, the Spanish empire had reached its 17th century territorial zenith, spanning a then unheard of 12.2 million square kilometers, but in other respects was in decline, a process to which Philip’s inability to achieve successful domestic and military reform is felt to have contributed.
Sculptor(s):Tacca, Pietro

(1577 –1640) was an Italian sculptor, who was the chief pupil and follower of Giambologna. Tacca began in a Mannerist style and worked in the Baroque style during his maturity.

Description:

The equestrian statue of Philip IV was the last major project of Pietro Tacca. The king, on his own wishes, is shown on a rearing horse, at the time an unprecedented technical feat of bronze casting on this scale. Rubens and Velázquez had already used the baroque pose in pictures of Philip. A copy of a painting by one of these artists was sent to Florence to act as a model, but the smooth, generalized treatment of the work shows that Tacca essentially remained a Mannerist sculptor.

The solution to the problem of keeping the statue upright was by positioning the centre of gravity as far back as possible. The statue is constructed from two distinct sections; the rear of the horse is solid bronze, with the majority of the weight, while the front is hollow. Tacca had help from Galileo Galilei. He determined the precise weights and forces, and proclaimed it would stand forever: the statue is still standing to this day. The original calculations and hand drawn plans penned by Galilei are still in existence and on display in Italy. Tacca started the sculpture in 1634 and completed it six years later in 1640. He died soon after. This was his last piece of commissioned work, which many suggest is his finest.

The achievements, both artistic and mathematical, were lost on Philip IV. When he first saw the statue he proclaimed that he did not like it and that the face was completely wrong. The statue was decapitated for six months while a new head was fashioned to the approval of the king.