August in Pole Position

An imposing horseman with a marshal's baton sits on a powerful horse, whose hind legs are bent like a tensed spring. Dust seems to swirl around the hooves, while the rider remains calm and in control. His determined gaze and shiny scale armor emphasize his authority. This scene shows August the Strong as the Golden Horseman at the Neustädter Markt in Dresden.

The bronze equestrian statue was originally intended for a monumental guardhouse at the Augustusbrücke (Augustus Bridge). But after August's death, it was erected on the square in front of it instead. The Second World War destroyed large parts of the new town, but the monument survived and still attracts visitors who look at it with admiration – or with their smartphones.

Since ancient times, equestrian statues have served as political statements. The famous model of Marcus Aurelius on the Capitoline in Rome influenced many subsequent representations, from Charlemagne to Donatello's Gattamelata and Louis XIV. However, the Golden Horseman breaks with this heritage.

The levade as the embodiment of complete control

In contrast to the usual equestrian statues, which show rulers in a calm pose and horses at a trot, the Golden Horseman takes the representation of power to a new level.

The levade, a challenging figure of classical equestrianism, requires extreme strength and precision. It embodies the rider's complete control over the horse – and thus the ruler's control over the realm. The floating movement of the rider's figure gives the statue an almost superhuman aura.

August the Strong's decision in favor of the levade is astonishingly unconventional.

Augustus's fascination with equestrian representations

Augustus's benchmark, Louis XIV, for example, rejected an equestrian statue by Bernini in which the horse was mounted. It seemed too theatrical to him. Instead, he had an equestrian figure made by François Girardon, which emphasized royal dignity over drama. August the Strong later acquired a bronze statuette modeled after this design. But in the Green Vault, the classical version by Girardon was juxtaposed with a levade by Jean-Joseph Vinache – an intriguing juxtaposition of two very different stagings of power.

Technical challenges

The manufacturing process was also innovative. A bronze casting of the Golden Horseman was not feasible due to a lack of skilled workers and high material costs. Leonardo da Vinci had already encountered similar problems with his equestrian statue for Ludovico Sforza. Finally, Ludwig Wiedemann's statue was cast in copper and fire-gilded – an impressive technical feat.

The Golden Horseman lives on

Anyone who thinks that August is just a gilded copper statue from the 18th century should take a look around Dresden. To this day, the Golden Horseman is more than just a monument. August the Strong still seems to be watching over Saxony. Whether it is the Saxons' love of pomp and splendor, their penchant for opulent festivals or their affection for monarchical gestures – all of this reminds us of the former ruler. The ghost of the Golden Horseman lives on – in every lavish ball night, whether in reverent contemplation or as a photo motif for social media.