Spinario (boy pulling a thorn from his foot) 1500 - 1560

This bronze sculpture of a boy pulling a thorn from his foot was made by Severo Calzetta da Ravenna in the 16th century. The sculpture is a small, domestic version of a famous ancient statue displayed in Rome. The original Spinario was one of the few ancient bronzes to remain visible throughout the middle ages. Its constant presence in the city, known by all, made it a potent symbol of Roman civic identity. By the 16th century, the classical past was of enormous interest to artists, scholars, and rulers. Little bronzes like this one were collected by elite patrons who wanted to be associated with the values of the ancient world. The little Spinario raises interesting questions about the role of art institutions in shaping the social meanings of art. The Metropolitan Museum gives us the opportunity to explore the ways in which the Renaissance understood both antiquity and its own place in history.