The Knife Grinder (l'arrotino) - The Scythian Who Skinned Marsyas, An Important 11th-century Bronze From The Grand Tour

An important Grand Tour bronze depicting the famous Arrotino, also known as the Knife Grinder, the Skinning Scythian, or Milichus, created around the mid-19th century.

This remarkable bronze reduction faithfully reproduces one of the most famous ancient sculptures, now housed at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Discovered in Rome in the 16th century, this fascinating work was long known as *L’Arrotino*, the knife-grinder sharpening his knife. Historians now identify him as the Scythian, the slave tasked with flaying the satyr Marsyas after the latter dared to challenge Apollo in a musical contest.

Our bronze accurately captures all the dramatic tension of this mythological scene. The crouching figure pauses in his action and looks upward, in a pose of remarkable psychological intensity.

The quality of the casting is particularly remarkable. The chiseling is of great finesse, as evidenced by the delicately sculpted sideburns, the finely rendered mustache and beard, the hands with perfectly individualized fingers, as well as the feet and toes rendered with great naturalism. The drapery is supple and deep, while the anatomy, executed with great mastery, conveys all the expressive power of the ancient model.

The medal-brown patina, with a slight golden hue, has retained a beautiful antique glaze that admirably highlights the sculpture’s volumes and details.

Created in the mid-19th century, this bronze is an elegant testament to the Grand Tour period, when European travelers brought back miniature replicas of the most famous masterpieces of Antiquity and the Italian Renaissance.

A beautiful collector’s piece, as decorative as it is historical, intended for lovers of ancient sculpture and private collections.

A very fine collector’s piece, as decorative as it is historical, intended for lovers of ancient sculpture and private collections.

Dimensions:

• Height: 23.5 cm
• Length: 21.5 cm
• Width: 11.5 cm

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