Boy with Thorn Bronze Sculpture
2024 © Maxim Tabachnik
Gladiators Fighting FrescoHoratius Cocles Defending the BridgeCombat of the Horatii and CuriatiiAttic Red-Figure Kylix with AthletesTriumph of Lucius Aemilius Paulus FrescoBoy with Thorn Bronze SculptureBoy with Thorn Bronze SculptureCapitoline Wolf with Romulus and RemusFinding of the She-Wolf FrescoTriumph of Lucius Aemilius PaulusBoy with Thorn Bronze SculptureRenaissance Fresco of the Colosseum

Boy with Thorn Bronze Sculpture

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This bronze sculpture, ’Boy with Thorn’ or ’Spinario’ (1st c. BC), shows a nude boy removing a thorn from his foot. It is a Roman copy of a Greek Hellenistic original. The figure may represent a young grape harvester or Ascanius, son of Aeneas. Its Renaissance popularity influenced many artists. Unlike typical marble versions, this bronze is a rare example of ancient craftsmanship.