Thyrsis

myminifactory

Havard Thomas trained in Paris before moving to Italy in 1889, where he spent seventeen years. In 1905, Havard Thomas submitted a male nude titled 'Lycidas' to the Royal Academy, but its rejection sparked a major scandal. Eight years later, Havard Thomas revisited the theme with 'Thyrsis', a title inspired by Matthew Arnold's 1866 poem of the same name, which itself was based on Milton's 'Lycidas' from 1637. In ancient Greece, Thyrsis was a shepherd who symbolized youth, and Havard Thomas's sculpture commemorates Italy and classical art in a similar way. Another version of the artwork is on display at The Tate Britain, scanned during a Sotheby's auction in 2017. This object is part of "Scan The World", a non-profit initiative created by MyMiniFactory to build a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures and artworks from around the globe for public access. Scan The World is an open-source community effort, and if you have interesting items nearby that you'd like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how you can help.