Bronze on a wooden base. Length: 40 cm. Height: 32 cm.
Limited edition of 49 pieces.
Royal Guard on Horseback - Madrid 2009
This sculpture by José Crespo, titled «Royal Guard on Horseback – Madrid 2009,» depicts a member of the Spanish Royal Guard on his noble steed. Capturing the majesty and tradition of this elite unit, the work presents the guard in a dignified and solemn pose, mounted on a horse in a stance of readiness.
The sculpture is crafted in bronze, with a patina that highlights the details of the guard’s attire and the musculature of the horse. The guard is dressed in full ceremonial uniform, complete with his distinctive adorned helmet and flowing cape. The attention to detail in the folds of the clothing and the texture of the horse’s skin showcases José Crespo’s skill in bringing realism and vitality to his works.
The horse, depicted with great anatomical precision, stands in a calm yet alert posture, reflecting the discipline and training of these animals in royal service. The base of the sculpture is polished wood, adding a warm contrast to the cool bronze and framing the piece with elegance.
«Living in Madrid, I wanted to create a military-themed figure connected to the city, and what could be more representative than the Royal Guard? I decided to model this Royal Guard on horseback as well as a halberdier.
In this case, I started from a completely different figure I had left half-finished the previous year, crafted in lost wax, which had remained unfinished primarily due to a lack of time and reference images. That figure was originally intended to be a mounted Civil Guard based on the painting by J. Cusachs i Cusachs of the same name. The image of the Civil Guard depicted in that painting is fantastic.
With some photos I managed to obtain and the help of the internet, I gathered the details I needed about the uniform of what would ultimately become a Royal Guard on horseback. That Civil Guard figure will have to wait for another time…
I finished it in Madrid at the end of 2009. In January 2010, I picked up the figure from the foundry, and that same month, I moved to Washington, DC.»
José Crespo
