Romulus and Remus

late 15th - early 16th century

Italian 15th or 16th Century

Associated Names
Italian 15th Century

Sculptor

Italian 16th Century

Sculptor

The sculpture depicts a she-wolf standing over two small human figures positioned underneath her body. The wolf has an alert posture with her head lowered and ears perked. The two human figures underneath her are small in scale, each lying on their backs. One appears to reach upwards towards the wolf. The sculpture is crafted from bronze, giving it a rich, dark brown color with hints of a softer golden sheen on the raised sections. The detailing of the sculpture's surface shows musculature and texture in the wolf’s body while the human figures appear more simplified in form. This piece is circular in shape and features an intricate bas-relief style, causing the central figures to protrude slightly from the flat disc base. The material and style reflect a classical aesthetic, drawing attention to the central motif of the protective she-wolf and the small, vulnerable human figures.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze//Medium brown patina

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (diameter): 8.4 cm (3 5/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.144

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Gustave Dreyfus [1837-1914], Paris; his estate; purchased 1930 by (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London and New York); purchased 1945 by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York; gift 1957 to NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1988

  • Da Pisanello alla nascita dei Musei Capitolini: L'Antico a Roma alla vigilia del Rinascimento, Musei Capitolini, Rome, 1988, no. 74.

1996

  • Pisanello: Le peintre aux sept vertus, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1996, no. 124, repro.

Bibliography

1931

  • Ricci, Seymour de. The Gustave Dreyfus Collection. Reliefs and Plaquettes. Oxford, 1931. Vol.II, 20.

1951

  • Renaissance Bronzes: Statuettes, Reliefs and Plaquettes, Medals and Coins from the Kress Collection. Introduction by Perry B. Cott. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1951: 142, as The She-Wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, Florentine 15th Century.

1965

  • Pope-Hennessy, John W. Renaissance Bronzes from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: Reliefs, Plaquettes, Statuettes, Utensils and Mortars. London, 1965: no. 375.

1983

  • Wilson, Carolyn C. Renaissance Small Bronze Sculpture and Associated Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Art. Washington, 1983: 32, no. 8.

Wikidata ID

Q63814715

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