PRIEUR Barthélémy. (1540-1611). (Surroundings... Lot 20

PRIEUR Barthélémy. (1540-1611). (Surroundings of) "SPINARIA". Bronze with brown patina. Antique base. H.8,2cm. "SPINARIA" or woman with the thorn was a young shepherd who would have saved ROME by carrying an urgent message to the Senate, stopping to extract the thorn from his foot only after having accomplished his mission. Literature: L. Planiscig, Kunst Historische Museum Vienna, "Die Bronzeplastiken". Vienna 1924 p.137, no. 236, fig. 236. Planiscig refers to another version of the Vienna bronze, previously in the Beckenrath Collection and sold in Berlin in 1916, no. 389. He catalogs the Vienna example as "Central Italy, 2nd part of the 16th century. The subject is based on a Roman model and is clearly in the hand of a precursor of Barthelemy Prieur's stunning small female figures. To be compared with lot 118 of the sale "L 01291 Consul", Sotheby's, London, 11/07/2001 sold for 8.500 Livres (13.955 €). The usually crouching statuette is nicely presented seated rather than crouched on this base.