Rearing Horse with a Snake Visual Description:
A magnificent stallion lowers its head, only to discover a venomous snake coiled on the ground. Startled, the bronze horse statue rears up violently—forelegs pawing the air and hind legs pushing off the earth—its muscles taut, head and neck twisted as it neighs in alarm. The snake coils around the horse’s hind leg, creating a scene of intense confrontation and conflict.
This large-scale bronze sculpture is a centerpiece of the collection in the gardens of Wallenstein Palace in Prague; it was commissioned by the military commander Duke Albrecht von Wallenstein. In 1622, the Duke invited Adriaen de Vries to create a series of bronze animal sculptures for his private gardens.
*Rearing Horse with Snake* stands as a crowning masterpiece of the artist’s later years; following de Vries’s death in 1626, the casting was completed by his apprentices.
Provenance and Creative Background:
The sculptor is Adriaen de Vries (c. 1556–1626), a preeminent master of Mannerist bronze sculpture during the Dutch Golden Age. He trained under the renowned Giambologna in Florence, later served as court sculptor to Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, and settled in Prague during his final years.
Since the 17th century, the sculpture has been permanently displayed along the main walkway of the Wallenstein Garden. It remains open to the public at its original site and is a well-known landmark in Prague.
Mannerist art favored exaggerated dynamism and dramatic conflict. By depicting an animal confrontation rather than a direct human figure, this work subtly conveys metaphors of aristocratic rule—a characteristic mode of expression for 17th-century Central European court sculpture. Should you wish to commission a replica, we can cast this bronze sculpture in various sizes and finishes.
