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Horse Tamers

Horse Tamers are two bronze equestrian statues depicting a horse trainer and his horse. They were placed from 1846 to 1950 on the leisure garden terrace of Berlin Palace. After the palace was demolished in 1950 by the communist government of the German Democratic Republic, the statues, which had survived the bombings of the Second World War, were transferred to Heinrich-von-Kleist Park in the Tempelhof-Schöneberg district of Berlin. The sculptor, Peter Clodt von Jürgensburg, also made additional casts for the Royal Palace of Naples and the Anichkov Bridge in Saint Petersburg.

Horse Tamers equestrian statue with a rearing horse and a standing figure beside it on a tall pedestal.
Horse Tamers, shown here as a dramatic equestrian sculpture mounted on a tall pedestal.
© Hagemann, Otto · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Two bronze Horse Tamers sculptures showing muscular men restraining rearing horses on stone pedestals.
The Horse Tamers sculptures stand on stone pedestals in front of historic buildings in Berlin.
© Hagemann, Otto · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Horse Tamers statues flank the central entrance of the Berlin Schloss, with rearing horses and standing figures on large pedestals.
The Horse Tamers sculptures stand on either side of the central entrance at the Berlin Schloss.
January 1900 © Andreas Schlüter (1660-1714) · Public domain
Horse Tamers statues with rearing horses on pedestals in a broad city square.
The Horse Tamers statues stand on pedestals along a wide plaza lined with classical buildings.
© Клодт. · Public domain
Horse Tamers sculptures flank a wide boulevard with pedestrians, carriages, and grand buildings in the distance.
Horse Tamers sculptures overlook a busy boulevard lined with grand buildings and pedestrians.
© various · Public domain

Identification

TitleHorse Tamers
Original German titleRossebändiger
TypeTwo bronze equestrian statues
Number of sculpturesTwo
SubjectTwo horse tamers and their horses

Creator

SculptorPeter Clodt von Jürgensburg
Artist nationalityRussian sculptor of Baltic German descent

Historical context

Placed at Berlin Palace until1950
Installed at Berlin Palace1844
Terrace completed1846
Created1842

Discovery and provenance

Original patronRussian Tsar Nicholas I
Gift recipientPrussian King Frederick William IV
Gift contextNicholas I gave Frederick William IV two casts after he saw the originals on the Anichkov Bridge in 1842
Additional casts made forThe Anichkov Bridge in Saint Petersburg and the Royal Palace of Naples

Physical characteristics

HeightAbout 4 meters

Materials

MaterialBronze

Iconography and meaning

Related motifThey also referred to the two horse tamers on the roof of the Old Museum
DepictsA horse trainer and his horse

Location and ownership

Associated works at original locationThe Lion Fighter and the Amazon by Albert Wolff and August Kiß, displayed in front of the Old Museum
Original location in BerlinIn front of Portal IV of the Berlin Palace
Site selectionAlexander von Humboldt and Christian Daniel Rauch
Current locationHeinrich-von-Kleist Park, Tempelhof-Schöneberg district, Berlin, Germany
Later location in BerlinEastern part of the Lustgarten terrace in front of the north facade of the Berlin Palace

History and restoration

Moved from Berlin Palace1945
Survived World War IIYes, without damage
Transfer contextMoved before the demolition of Berlin Palace in 1950 by the GDR
Current discussionReinstallation at the original site is being discussed in connection with the reconstruction of the palace as the Humboldt Forum

Significance

Contemporary nicknames"disabled progress" and "accelerated regression"
Albert Geyer's description"The splendid works of art, well suited in scale, are an ornament to the palace terrace and thus to the palace"
Public use historyUsed as a backdrop for political gatherings and speeches in 1919 and 1932
Postwar assessment by Georg PniowerDescribed as "too small and only a makeshift"
Support for reinstallationInfratest dimap poll: 44% of Germans and 51% of Berliners support it
SupportersWilhelm von Boddien, Manfred Rettig, and Klaus von Krosigk
Historical significance in Saint PetersburgThe horse tamers on the Anichkov Bridge are regarded as a landmark of Saint Petersburg
Attribution to Nicholas IHe is said to have remarked: "The man creates nobler horses than any prize-winning stallion."

Other

Depicted in imagesShown on a painting by Wilhelm Brücke (1852) and in several historical photographs and views of Berlin Palace