Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Horse and rider startled by a snake

early 16th century
Not on view
As his horse paws the air, a shouting rider raises his spear (now lost) to impale a snake. The statuette’s three figures were cast separately and later assembled to form the group. In a demonstration of virtuosic technique, the weight of the rider and horse balances effortlessly on the twin points of the horse’s rear hooves. The rare subject of this exquisite bronze derives from a precious classical cameo (a gem carved in relief).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Horse and rider startled by a snake
  • Date: early 16th century
  • Culture: Italian, Venice or Padua
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: Overall: 9 × 8 1/2 × 4 in. (22.9 × 21.6 × 10.2 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture-Bronze
  • Credit Line: Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
  • Object Number: 64.101.1419
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
Virginal, Wood, parchment, ivory, paint, Italian
Virginal
Italian
1540
Bronze statuette of a rider wearing an elephant skin, Bronze, Greek
Bronze statuette of a rider wearing an elephant skin
Greek
3rd century BCE
Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, Francesco Colonna Italian, Printed book with woodcut illustrations
Hypnerotomachia Poliphili
Multiple artists/makers
December 1499
Bronze statuette of a veiled and masked dancer, Bronze, Greek
Bronze statuette of a veiled and masked dancer
Greek
3rd–2nd century BCE
Falchion, Steel, gold, textile, Italian, Venice
Falchion
Italian, Venice
ca. 1490

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.