The Spinario of the Estense Gallery is one of the most famous examples of a sculptural type depicting a young boy sitting on a rock intent on removing a thorn from the sole of his left foot. Derived from Hellenistic models, the subject enjoyed immense popularity during the Renaissance, especially starting from the donation of the Lateran bronzes by Pope Sixtus IV (141-1484) in 1471, when the bronze Spinario currently preserved at the Capitoline Museums became one of the most studied and appreciated works of antiquarian culture at the time. The work became part of the Este collections through Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este (1509-1572). At the death of the cardinal, it is listed in the inventories of Duke Alfonso II (1533-1597) and in the late sixteenth century, the restoration commissioned by Duke Cesare d'Este (1562-1628) to the Ferrarese sculptor Francesco Casella is remembered.