The Horses Of St Mark's: A Story of Triumph in Byzantium, Paris and Venice - Charles Freeman
The Horses Of St Marks: A Story of Triumph in Byzantium, Paris and Venice - Charles Freeman
Non-Fiction
Pages: 320
The famous horses of St Mark's in Venice, for so many centuries highly visible on their platform above the piazza, have had a fascinating history, serving at various moments as artistic wonders, as plunder, or as symbols of triumph and unity. Charles Freeman traces their history through the years, serving up along the way an enjoyable potted history of Constantinople and Venice, Renaissance art and sculpture, philosophy and aesthetics.
The horses' origins are shrouded in mystery, and scholars, philosophers and aesthetes have debated for centuries over whether the horses were Greek or Roman, whether they were intended to symbolise a victory in the Olympic Games or to adorn a triumphal arch in Rome. The horses were moved from Rome to Constantinople in the 4th century AD to celebrate the founding of that city by Constantine. They were stolen from Constantinople in the 13th century by the Venetians during the city's sacking during the Fourth Crusade. Centuries later they were plundered again, this time by Napoleon, and brought to Paris as a symbol of victory. Repatriated after the final fall of Napoleon in 1815, they were returned to their home in Venice, where they have remained to this day - although modern pollution and its corrosive effects on the copper horses have meant they are now no longer in pride of place above the arch of St Mark's but undercover inside.
The horses have come to be more than simply copper statues - over the years they have become caught up in political currents, in revolutions, political and philosophical debates, and have served as cultural icons and symbols of national pride. In a way, these associations have ensured the horses' survival - being easily transportable (read: easily stolen) they were seen as prestige items, obviously intended for public display, and it is in this capacity that they became high-profile targets for plunder, first by the Romans, who may (or may not) have stolen them from the Greeks, then Constantine, the Venetians, and finally Napoleon.
I did enjoy this book, although it is less about the horses themselves than the particular nations and cultures they have found themselves in at any given point. The actual investigation into their origins is done and dusted in a few pages, and hanging an entire book on the concept means the conceit is a little stretched. But it's an enjoyable read, and I learned a little about Venetian history along the way, so I can't complain.
Non-Fiction
Pages: 320
The famous horses of St Mark's in Venice, for so many centuries highly visible on their platform above the piazza, have had a fascinating history, serving at various moments as artistic wonders, as plunder, or as symbols of triumph and unity. Charles Freeman traces their history through the years, serving up along the way an enjoyable potted history of Constantinople and Venice, Renaissance art and sculpture, philosophy and aesthetics.
The horses' origins are shrouded in mystery, and scholars, philosophers and aesthetes have debated for centuries over whether the horses were Greek or Roman, whether they were intended to symbolise a victory in the Olympic Games or to adorn a triumphal arch in Rome. The horses were moved from Rome to Constantinople in the 4th century AD to celebrate the founding of that city by Constantine. They were stolen from Constantinople in the 13th century by the Venetians during the city's sacking during the Fourth Crusade. Centuries later they were plundered again, this time by Napoleon, and brought to Paris as a symbol of victory. Repatriated after the final fall of Napoleon in 1815, they were returned to their home in Venice, where they have remained to this day - although modern pollution and its corrosive effects on the copper horses have meant they are now no longer in pride of place above the arch of St Mark's but undercover inside.
The horses have come to be more than simply copper statues - over the years they have become caught up in political currents, in revolutions, political and philosophical debates, and have served as cultural icons and symbols of national pride. In a way, these associations have ensured the horses' survival - being easily transportable (read: easily stolen) they were seen as prestige items, obviously intended for public display, and it is in this capacity that they became high-profile targets for plunder, first by the Romans, who may (or may not) have stolen them from the Greeks, then Constantine, the Venetians, and finally Napoleon.
I did enjoy this book, although it is less about the horses themselves than the particular nations and cultures they have found themselves in at any given point. The actual investigation into their origins is done and dusted in a few pages, and hanging an entire book on the concept means the conceit is a little stretched. But it's an enjoyable read, and I learned a little about Venetian history along the way, so I can't complain.