Statue of King Philip IV of Spain (Bernini)

The Statue of King Philip IV of Spain is a baroque equestrian sculpture created by Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It depicts King Philip IV of Spain on horseback. Commissioned by Philip IV himself and initiated in the 1630s, the statue was intended to be a symbol of Spanish power and prestige.

The sculpture proved problematic due to balance issues. Bernini, after significant effort, completed a clay model which was then cast in bronze by his workshop. However, upon arrival in Spain, it was deemed unsatisfactory by the Spanish court, primarily due to concerns about its stability and aesthetic.

The statue was subsequently given to the sculptor Pietro Tacca, who, unable to resolve the balance problems, passed it on to Galileo's former student, Giovanni Torricelli. Torricelli devised a complex internal support system involving the placement of the majority of the weight at the horse's rear, allowing the statue to be stable despite appearing to defy gravity.

Finally, the statue was placed in the gardens of the Buen Retiro Palace in Madrid. It remains notable for its innovative engineering solution and as an example of the challenges and collaboration involved in large-scale baroque sculpture. The statue is often cited as a significant, though initially troubled, work in Bernini's oeuvre and a testament to the era's artistic ambition and engineering ingenuity.