A BRONZE FIGURE OF THE SPINARIO
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A BRONZE FIGURE OF THE SPINARIO

AFTER THE ANTIQUE, WORKSHOP OF SEVERO DA RAVENNA (FL. CIRCA 1496-1543), 16TH CENTURY

Details
A BRONZE FIGURE OF THE SPINARIO
AFTER THE ANTIQUE, WORKSHOP OF SEVERO DA RAVENNA (FL. CIRCA 1496-1543), 16TH CENTURY
Depicted seated on a later cylindrical bronze pedestal pulling a thorn from his foot; on a later circular bronze base inscribed in red to the side with the inventory number '242'; dark brown patina with medium greenish brown high points
7½ in. (19 cm.) high; 9 in. (22.8 cm.) high, overall
Provenance
Purchased by Alfred Beit (1853-1906) by 1904.
Thence by descent to Lady (Clementine) Beit (1915-2005) by whom donated to the Alfred Beit Foundation in 2005.
Literature
W. Bode, The Art Collection of Mr. Alfred Beit at His Residence 26 Park Lane London, Berlin, 1904, as 'Venetian, second half 16th century'.
W. Bode, Catalogue of the Collection of Pictures and Bronzes in the Possession of Mr. Otto Beit, London, 1913, p. 111, no. 242, as 'Unknown Paduan artist'.

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE:
A. Radcliffe, M. Baker and M. Maek-Gérard, The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection - Renaissance and later Sculpture with Works of Art in Bronze, London, 1992, p. 208, fig. 1.
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

Little is known about the early life of Severo di Domenico Calzetta - popularly known as Severo da Ravenna - despite the efforts of numerous scholars over the past few decades (for the most recent essay on the sculptor see J. Warren, 'Severo Calzetta detto Severo da Ravenna' in Donatello, op. cit., pp. 131-143). He was born in either Ravenna or Ferrara to a sculptor father and may have trained with Pietro Lombardo in his early years. By 1500 he is recorded as being in Padua but he appears to have returned to Ravenna around 1510 and spent the remainder of his working life there.

The present figure is cast after an antique bronze statue known since at least the 12th century. It was particularly popular in the early renaissance and was often copied, sometimes in reverse as is seen here. It appears to have come from the same mould as an example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (illustrated in Radcliffe, loc. cit.), which is distinctive for the delicate modelling of the hands. That bronze is described as 'By Severo da Ravenna', however it is known that Severo's workshop was extensive, and it is possible that the present bronze was cast by one of the other sculptors working in the foundry.

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