Equestrian Statue of Alessandro Farnese

After he had modelled the Ranuccio horse, Mochi went to Padua and Venice to study Donatello’s Gattamelata and Verrocchio’s Colleoni and the horses of St Mark’s, but this cultural enrichment only brought about a few modifications in the representation of the rider. The dynamic element in the Alessandro group contrasts with the heaviness of the Ranuccio monument, which is much closer to that of Marcus Aurelius. Here the horse, foaming at the mouth, and the rider with his wind whipped cloak form an impressive unity, vibrating with movement and light, whereby the artist achieves great stylistic coherence.