Cruttwell, Maud: Verrocchio (London: Duckworth and Co., 1904)

34

VERROCCHIO

that his financial circumstances had improved; but in his
declaration of goods to the Catasto of 1470 there is the
same statement of poverty, of debts, and of “ beni
alienati.”
We have now reached the most important epoch of
Verrocchio’s life—the commission for the equestrian statue
of Bartolommeo Colleoni by the Venetian Signoria. Vasari
has recorded that he occupied himself much with studies of
horses, and it is certain that some proof of his proficiency
as a master of equine anatomy must have induced the
Venetians to apply to a Florentine artist. Of this more
will be said later in studying the monument. Here it is
sufficient to indicate the few dates and facts important in
his biography. In 1479 he received the commission to
prepare a model of the horse in competition with Vellano
of Padua, the assistant of Donatello in the Gattemelata
monument, and Leopardi of Ferrara, both well known and
exceedingly popular with the Venetians.
Although no documentary evidence exists to prove it,
there is no doubt, from the resemblance of his statue to the
antique bronze steeds of S. Marco, that on receipt of the
commission he must have gone to Venice to study, although
we know that the model was actually executed in the
Florence bottega. By July 12,1481, the model was already
completed, and sent to Venice by way of Ferrara, Verroc-
chio applying to the Ferrarese ambassador in Florence for
its free passage through the State. It was exhibited
together with the models of Vellano and Leopardi in
Venice, and was preferred to theirs. The commission
for the bronze statue was now definitely conferred on
him, though not without difficulties from the jealousy of
the rival competitors. He took up his abode in Venice,