The equestrian statue of Christian V, located in the centre of Kongens Nytorv, is the oldest of five equestrian statues of Danish monarchs in Copenhagen, Denmark. The equestrian statue was created by the French sculptor

Abraham-César Lamoureux Abraham César Lamoureux (c. 1640, Metz – c. April 1692, Copenhagen) was a French sculptor and stonemason who worked in Sweden and in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is best known for creating the first equestrian statue in northern Europe. Life ...

. Dating from 1688, it was originally made in

gilded Gilding is a decorative technique for applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces such as metal (most common), wood, porcelain, or stone. A gilded object is also described as "gilt". Where metal is gilded, the metal below was tradi ...

lead but recast in

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

in 1939.

Description

With direct inspiration from the equestrian statue of Louis XIII at the centre of

Place des Vosges The Place des Vosges (), originally Place Royale, is the oldest planned square in Paris, France. It is located in the ''Marais'' district, and it straddles the dividing-line between the 3rd and 4th arrondissements of Paris. It was a fashionable ...

, it depicts the king dressed like a Roman imperator with a Laurel wreathed helmet. The plinth is surrounded by four allegorical statues. Facing Charlottenborg Palace stand two figures of Minerva and Herkules, representing

prudence Prudence ( la, prudentia, Contraction (grammar), contracted from meaning "seeing ahead, sagacity") is the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason. It is classically considered to be a virtue, and in particular one of th ...

and strengt, while the opposite side features statues of Alexander the Great and

Artemisia Artemisia may refer to: People * Artemisia I of Caria (fl. 480 BC), queen of Halicarnassus under the First Persian Empire, naval commander during the second Persian invasion of Greece * Artemisia II of Caria (died 350 BC), queen of Caria under th ...

, personifications of fortitude and honour. Even though Lamoureux depicted the horse in a trot-like

gait Gait is the pattern of movement of the limbs of animals, including humans, during locomotion over a solid substrate. Most animals use a variety of gaits, selecting gait based on speed, terrain, the need to maneuver, and energetic efficiency. Di ...

, with inspiration from Marcus Aurelius' horse at the Capitoline Hill, the design caused severe problems due to the soft metal used for the casting. The construction therefore had to be strengthened, and Lamoureux introduced a figure of a naked man crouched underneath the horse's hoof, personifying envy but in the same time affording support for the horse's barrel as the weakest point of the statue.

History

Shortly after

Christian V Christian V (15 April 1646 25 August 1699) was king of Denmark and Norway from 1670 until his death in 1699. Well-regarded by the common people, he was the first king anointed at Frederiksborg Castle chapel as absolute monarch since the decree ...

was crowned in 1670, Kongens Nytorv was laid out as a '' place royale'' with inspiration from France. Land around the new square was distributed among interested wealthy citizens, including people from the new ranks. Buildings facing the square were required to have at least two stories and meet certain standards. The French sculptor

was commissioned to create an equestrian statue of Christian V for the centre of the square. In 1688, a

Baroque garden The Baroque garden was a style of garden based upon symmetry and the principle of imposing order on nature. The style originated in the late-16th century in Italy, in the gardens of the Vatican and the Villa Borghese gardens in Rome and in the ga ...

complex with trees around a parterre and the gilded equestrian statue of Christian V in its centre, was inaugurated. In 1747 the entire square was rebuilt by Frederik V as a military drill and ceremony ground for the King's troops, which was used until 1908, when the square was re-shaped to its original design. Christian V by Frederik Riise

The equestrian statue was created in gilded lead. Over the centuries the soft metal used for casting the statue resulted in problems, particularly with the horse's front left leg, and finally Professor Einar Utzon-Frank from the

Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts ( da, Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi - Billedkunst Skolerne) has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Dani ...

was commissioned to recast the statue in bronze. This happened from 1939 to 1942 and the new cast was reinaugurated on 22 May 1946.

References

{{coord, 55.68052, 12.58595, format=dms, type:landmark_region:DK, display=title 1680s sculptures Baroque sculpture

Monuments and memorials in Copenhagen Cultural depictions of Christian V of Denmark Bronze sculptures in Copenhagen