Capitoline Wolf
A bronze sculpture depicts a she-wolf suckling the twins Romulus and Remus. Housed in Rome’s Capitoline Museums, it became an emblem of the city.
Etruscan Art: The visual culture of the Etruscans, an ancient people of central Italy. The wolf was long attributed to Etruscan bronze-working, though that dating is now disputed.
Roman foundation myth: The traditional stories explaining Rome’s origins, especially the legend of Romulus and Remus. The sculpture gives the city’s foundation legend a vivid, recognizable image.
Capitoline Museums: A group of art and archaeological museums on Rome’s Capitoline Hill. The sculpture is housed in these museums, which take their name from the hill.
She-wolf of the Forum: A fragmentary ancient Roman bronze sculpture of a she-wolf, distinct from the Capitoline Wolf. It provides a separate ancient bronze comparison for the Capitoline sculpture’s disputed origins.
Romulus and Remus: Twin brothers in Roman foundation legend, suckled by a she-wolf and associated with Rome’s founding. The twins were added to the sculpture centuries after the wolf was made.
Roman mythology: The religious stories and legendary traditions of ancient Rome. The she-wolf’s nursing of the twins condenses a central Roman origin story.
Palazzo dei Conservatori: A historic palace on Rome’s Capitoline Hill that forms part of the Capitoline Museums. The wolf is displayed in this palace’s collection.
Lupa Capitolina: The Latin name commonly used for the Capitoline Wolf sculpture. The name emphasizes the wolf itself, while the twins are a later addition.
Antonio del Pollaiuolo: An Italian Renaissance artist known for painting, sculpture, engraving, and goldsmithing. He was traditionally credited with casting the twins, though that attribution is uncertain.
Municipal heraldry: The use of coats of arms and emblems to represent cities and other local authorities. The wolf and twins became a recurring emblem on Roman civic insignia.