Capitoline Wolf

This article is about the statue in Rome. For similar statues elsewhere, see Capitoline Wolf (disambiguation).
Capitoline Wolf
ArtistUnknown (wolf)
Antonio del Pollaiuolo (twins)
YearEtruscan, 5th century BC or 11th–12th centuries AD (wolf)
Late 15th century AD (twins)
TypeBronze
Dimensions75 cm × 114 cm (30 in × 45 in)
LocationCapitoline Museums, Rome, Italy

The Capitoline Wolf (Italian: Lupa Capitolina) is a bronze sculpture depicting a scene from the legend of the founding of Rome. The sculpture shows a she-wolf suckling the mythical twin founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. According to the legend, when King Numitor, grandfather of the twins, was overthrown by his brother Amulius in Alba Longa, the usurper ordered them to be cast into the Tiber River. They were rescued by a she-wolf that cared for them until a herdsman, Faustulus, found and raised them.

The age and origin of the Capitoline Wolf are controversial. The statue was long thought to be an Etruscan work of the fifth century BC,[1] with the twins added in the late 15th century AD, probably by sculptor Antonio del Pollaiuolo.[2] However, radiocarbon and thermoluminescence dating in the 21st century has suggested that the wolf portion of the statue may have been cast between 1021 and 1153,[3] though the results are inconsistent, and there is yet no consensus for a revised dating. In a conference on this theme, most academics continued to support an ancient Etruscan origin.[citation needed] An analysis of the metal suggests that it contains lead from a source not known to have operated during medieval times.[4]

The image of the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus has been a symbol of Rome since ancient times, and one of the most recognizable icons of ancient mythology.[5] The sculpture has been housed since 1471 in the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the Campidoglio (the ancient Capitoline Hill), Rome, Italy, and many replicas are in various places around the world.

  1. ^ (Lacus Curtius website) Rodolfo Lanciani, Ancient Rome in the Light of Recent Discoveries ch. X; Musei Capitolini website Archived 19 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine; Capitoline Museums:Exhibition "The Capitoline She-Wolf", June-October 2000 Archived 16 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine; Lupa Capitolina Elettronica A site devoted to the Capitoline Wolf (in progress)
  2. ^ "Sculpture" . The Oxford Encyclopedia of Classical Art and Architecture. Ed. John B. Hattendorf. Oxford University Press, 2007.
  3. ^ Lorenzi, Rossella (25 June 2012). "Rome Icon Actually Younger Than the City". DNews. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  4. ^ Osborne, John (2020-07-09). Rome in the Eighth Century: A History in Art. Cambridge University Press. p. 150. ISBN 978-1-108-83458-2.
  5. ^ Wiseman, Timothy (1999). Remus. Un mito di Roma (in Italian). Quasar. p. xiii. ISBN 978-8871401485.