Romulus en Remus in gevecht 1572 - 1573

Giovanni Battista Fontana created this print, "Romulus en Remus in gevecht", sometime between 1524 and 1587. It depicts a violent moment from Roman mythology, the fratricide committed by Romulus against his brother Remus. Fontana was working within a cultural context deeply invested in classical narratives, yet this print is more than a simple illustration of a well-known story. It grapples with themes of power, conflict, and the making of history itself. Look closely and you can see the raw emotion etched into the figures, their faces contorted in rage and desperation. The print invites us to reflect on how societies construct their own origin stories, often through violence and the suppression of alternative narratives. How do we reckon with the fact that the foundation of a great civilization is rooted in such brutal acts? Fontana compels us to confront these uncomfortable truths.