Boy with thorn, bronze with brown patina, Florence, 17th century

Beautiful small bronze with brown patina depicting the famous "Spinario" or "boy with thorn," seated on a tree trunk, his torso leaning forward, concentrating on removing the thorns from his left foot.
At his feet rests his crozier, indicating his status as a shepherd.

Very beautiful brown patina.

17th century Florentine work.

The bronze rests on a small rectangular black and red jasper base.

Dimensions:

Bronze height: 9.5 cm
Base: height: 5 cm; width: 5.5 cm
Total height: 14.5 cm

Our opinion:

Our sculpture, which is derived from a Greek original from the 4th century BC, is one of the most emblematic of Roman antiquity; A life-size version is preserved in the Capitoline Museum in Rome.
The subject was very popular due to its symbolism: removing a thorn requires precision, but here it is an allegory of self-improvement.
The young Roman shepherd depicted was said to be carrying an important message for the Senate and to have traveled the entire journey despite a thorn deeply embedded in his foot.
Only once the mission was accomplished did he sit calmly to extract the thorn.
Our scene echoes the great themes of duty, devotion, and self-improvement.
For the Romans, this anonymous young hero is an example of commitment to the service of the republic, and for future generations, he will be a symbol of resilience and the will to move forward despite life's difficulties, all while solving problems with skill and patience. From then on, throughout the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the "spiniario," an ancient example of which was discovered in Rome, would become a symbol of resilience.
Small Florentine workshops linked to founders such as Severo of Ravenna, Antico, and Giovanni di Bologna would produce small cabinet examples intended for scholars, collectors, and a cultured aristocracy.
These small bronzes, appreciated for both their symbolic and aesthetic value, would be exhibited in the "studioli," or other small study rooms.
The example we present perfectly reflects this humanist trend toward the rediscovery of the moral values of antiquity.