Spinario (boy pulling a thorn from his foot) 1530 - 1565

Curator: Today we are looking at "Spinario (boy pulling a thorn from his foot)" an Italian Renaissance bronze sculpture from around 1530 to 1565 attributed to Severo Calzetta da Ravenna. It's part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. Editor: My initial feeling is one of curious intimacy. He's so absorbed in his small pain, brow furrowed in concentration. It makes you want to lean closer, as if not to intrude, yet still understand his experience. Curator: Yes, the Spinario motif, of a boy removing a thorn, has ancient roots, finding echoes in classical sculpture. Renaissance artists rediscovered and reinterpreted it. Editor: It's like they plucked this moment out of real life. There is no drama, just a practical need. Even the little thorny perch is so beautifully utilitarian. A great metaphor, really; even our discomfort becomes something we build upon. Curator: These bronze reductions gained popularity as collector's items, adorning the cabinets of wealthy patrons. The circulation of classical ideas fueled that trade and gave figures like Spinario considerable prestige and utility. Editor: Utility is the key. I am touched by the raw simplicity. It avoids the pomp or grand narratives of so much Renaissance work and instead, gives me humanness at its best; ordinary, flawed, quietly persistent. It feels very...today, you know? Curator: Considering this work, then, as more than just a beautiful object, we recognize its complex participation in economic systems, cultural ideals, and modes of self-fashioning. The Spinario is much more than simply a decorative statue. Editor: Exactly. The statue transcends centuries. A boy with a splinter echoes. It is nice to know we are still, in our core, capable of relating so directly to that shared experience of a universal small sting. Curator: It provides a refreshing window onto our ideas of what art is for. Editor: And a reminder to be gentle with ourselves. Now if you will excuse me, I feel I felt a tickle in my foot as well!