The Bronze Horseman: Falconet's Monument to Peter the Great [Hardcover]

Alexander M. Schenker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2003

This is a comprehensive treatment of the most consequential work of art ever to be executed in Russia - the equestrian monument to Peter the Great, or "The Bronze Horseman", as it has come to be known since it appeared in Alexander Pushkin's poem bearing that title. Schenker deals with the cultural setting that prepared the ground for the monument and provides life stories of those who were involved in its creation: the sculptors Etienne-Maurice Falconet and Marie-Anne Collot, the engineer Marin Carburi, the diplomat Dmitry Golitsyn and Catherine's "commissar" for culture, Ivan Betskoi. He also touches upon the extraordinary resonance of the monument in Russian culture, which, since the unveiling in 1782, has become the icon of St. Petersburg and has alimented the so-called "St. Petersburg theme" in Russian letters, familiar from the works of such writers as Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Gogol and Bely.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“As the most thorough and intelligent study of Russia’s most famous monument, a monument executed by a French Enlightenment sculptor, the book will have wide appeal among scholars of history, literature, and art.”—William Mills Todd III, Harvard University

(William Mills Todd III )

“[An] impressive new study. . . . This book enhances the literature on Russia’s most controversial city with its timely and elegant research.”—Rosalind P. Blakesley, Russian Review

(Rosalind P. Blakesley Russian Review )

“[A] gripping tale.”—John Keep, Times Literary Supplement

(John Keep Times Literary Supplement )

“Mr. Schenker manages to encapsulate engagingly the history of St. Petersburg, of the Enlightenment in France, of equestrian sculpture from the Romans on, and of the engineering and casting of bronze figures, while telling the very human story of two sculptors.”—Priscilla S. Taylor, Washington Times

(Priscilla S. Taylor Washington Times )

From the Back Cover

"As the most thorough and intelligent study of Russia's most famous monument, a monument executed by a French Enlightenment sculptor, the book will have wide appeal among scholars of history, literature, and art."-William Mills Todd III, Harvard University

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (December 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300097123
• ISBN-13: 978-0300097122
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,795,606 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo Dr. Schenker, Boo to Yale University Press, March 20, 2005

By 

Walter Fekula (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bronze Horseman: Falconet's Monument to Peter the Great (Hardcover)

Dr. Alexander M. Schenker, currently professor emeritus of Slavic linguistics at Yale University, has enjoyed a long and distinguished career. I have been fortunate to have been the beneficiary of his considerable talents when, some 20 years ago, he was kind enough to have written a brilliant forward to a two-volume catalogue of my late uncle's vast collection of Russian and Slavic books, the majority of which were eventually donated to the New York Public Library.

"The Bronze Horseman" is a 398 page, (310 pages of text) book on Russia's most revered monument - the equestrian statue honoring Peter the Great (1672-1725) in St. Petersburg executed by the French sculptor Etienne-Maurice Falconet after 12 years of labor and unveiled in 1783. The book came about as an outgrowth of a lecture during a tour arranged for Yale alumni. It is a brilliant book.

The research is meticulous and unlike many books written by university professors, it makes for fascinating reading as Schenker masterfully weaves in the history of St. Petersburg, the development of French statuary art, Falconet's life and career and the tremendous obstacles encountered in creating this magnificent work of art. There is much to glean.

- " Peter's revolution went far deeper than the external manifestations of modernization - changes in the liturgy, calendar, and alphabet, Western garb and shaved-off beards. Following the prescription of every successful revolution, Peter unraveled the threads that made up the tissue of Russian society and replaced them with new ones of his own making. The losers were the ancient boyar families; the gainers were Peter's cronies, yesterday's nobodies, today's powerful princes and counts. Peter's famous Table of Ranks created a quasi-military structure of state functionaries, a pyramid of puppets set in motion by the threads gathered in the hand of the tsar."
- " But when the call came from St. Petersburg, as if with a wave of a magic wand, Falconet's somber world was bathed in all the hues of a rainbow. He found himself the focus of attention in one of the most resplendent courts in the world, received freely by the legendary woman who occupied the throne of All the Russias ..."
- " The incredible saga of the successful search for a natural stone for the pedestal and of its transportation to St. Petersburg caught the fancy of the world and brought Catherine's rule almost as much acclaim as the first sputnik brought to the Khruschev regime."

I could quote the whole book, as much of it is riveting; the problems and controversies of casting such a large statue, the sad ending of Falconet's stay in Russia and the pomp and circumstance of the unveiling.


Unfortunately, Yale University Press has put a $65.00 price on it thereby denying the book a chance to enjoy a general readership, published this book. The reason I presume is the stupid system of covering the cost of printing the book by over-charging the university libraries that purchase university published books irrespective of price. Obviously, Yale University did not have enough faith in Dr. Schenker to allow the book a chance to sell in the open-market place. This is a shame for all those who have a love of history should read this absorbing and well-written book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Scholarship Produces Masterful Study, November 9, 2004

By 

Michael Lima (Fresno, California USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Bronze Horseman: Falconet's Monument to Peter the Great (Hardcover)

I'll admit that I knew little about the equestrian monument to Peter the Great popularly known as "The Bronze Horseman" before I read this book. Having finished the book, my appreciation for this artistic achievement has greatly increased. This enhanced appreciation is entirely due to Schenker's masterful approach in discussing the statue.

As one would expect in a work of art history, Schenker gives an analysis of the work's artistic merits. However, he saves this examination until the end of the book. Before he provides his analysis, Schenker spends the majority of the book discussing the influences that helped shape Falconet's approach to sculpting the monument. He shows these influences by providing a thorough look at Falconet's career, his personal and professional relationships, and his personality. All of these aspects are substantiated with solid research. By arranging the study in this manner, Schneker gives the reader enough context to appreciate the statue's artistic qualities when they are eventually discussed.

It's rare to find an art history study as informative, entertaining, and engaging as The Bronze Horseman. In fact, The Bronze Horseman reads more like a novel than a study. One cannot make that claim about too many other histories, much less art histories. Consequently, much as the statue is recognized as one of the world's definitive equestrian monuments, this book will be recognized in the future as a standard for all art histories.