A sculpture located in the center of Amalienborg Square, Copenhagen, framed by the four symmetrical wings of the Amalienborg palace. The statue represents Frederick V of Denmark in classic attire, crowned with laurels and with his hand outstretched, holding a baton. Commissioned by the Danish East India Company, it was designed in Neoclassical style by Jacques Saly in 1768 and was cast in bronze in 1771. The apparent dignity and tranquility in the depiction of the king is typical of Danish representations of monarchs. It is considered to be one of the notable equestrian monuments of its time.
The bronze was cast on 2 March 1768 by Frenchman Pierre Gors and weighed some 22 tons. Another three years were spent on finishing the work, which was inaugurated in 1771. Including the base, the statue reaches a height of almost 12 m (39 ft). Saly reported he had been inspired by the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius in Rome as well as by Giambologna's equestrian Henry IV on the Pont Neuf in Paris. But perhaps his greatest inspiration was Edmé Bouchardon's Louis XV (destroyed during the French Revolution) in Place Louis XV, now the Place de la Concorde. It had just been completed when Saly left for Denmark.
Saly first modelled a lifelike portrait of the King. He made a few small bronze castings, the last of which was approved by Frederik V in 1755. Saly then went on to study horses in the royal stables. In 1758, he prepared a model about a meter in height, which the king applauded. Copies still exist in Copenhagen's museums. The King's portrait, where he is depicted as a Roman emperor capped with laurels, has however been lost.