Picture two majestic bronze horses. These are the Konstantinopelhästarna, the Byzantine Horses. These sculptures stand here on Blasieholmstorg in central Stockholm. They mark a transformation. This open space was once a busy street. It even had parking spots.
The tale of the Konstantinopelhästarna begins long before their arrival in Sweden. Their story possibly started in ancient Rome or Greece. These sculptures date back as far as the 3rd century BC. Or maybe as late as the 3rd century AD.
Imagine these horses as war trophies. They traveled from Constantinople to Venice in the 1200s. Some believe they adorned a triumphal arch in Rome. Emperor Constantine may have moved them to his city. Another theory suggests they originated from Rhodes.
Venetians likely seized the sculptures during the Fourth Crusade around 1204. For centuries the four original horses stood above the entrance to St Mark’s Basilica in Venice. Today, copies stand outside. The originals are safely inside the church.
Napoleon I captured the horses in 1797. He placed them atop the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in Paris in 1807. After Napoleon’s defeat, the sculptures returned to Venice. Replicas replaced them in Paris.
Fast forward to 1959. Svante Påhlson commissioned bronze casts of two of the horses. He used copies from the Glyptoteket museum in Copenhagen. Herman Bergmans Konstgjuteri created them for Rottneros Park. Eric Grate facilitated the contact with Glyptoteket.
Bergmans Konstgjuteri also made a copy for Stallbacken in Örebro. The same models served for the Konstantinopelhästarna here in Stockholm. Since 1989, these bronze horses have graced Blasieholmstorg. Sivert Lindblom redesigned the space. He turned it into a public square.
Consider the journey of these magnificent creatures. From ancient origins to Venice, Paris, and finally Stockholm. The Konstantinopelhästarna represent history and art. They also symbolize transformation. They stand as a testament to cultural exchange and artistic legacy.