Stealing Beauty: The Stolen Horses of Venice

The Object

In the early 1800s, the four famous bronze horses of Venice are restored to their place atop St. Mark's Basilica, after a long and humiliating absence. But when American artist Charles Caryl Coleman arrives in Venice, in the 1870s, his celebrated painting of the horses exposes some clues to their real origins. A story of empire and theft, and a betrayal that forever changed the world. You can see the painting by Coleman, The Bronze Horses of San Marco, in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art: https://collections.artsmia.org/art/2607/the-bronze-horses-of-san-marco-charles-caryl-coleman This episode features a clip from the podcast Curious Objects, from Antiques magazine. Listen to more at https://www.themagazineantiques.com/podcast/