Capitolene Wolf with Romulus and Remus, after the antiquity 19th-20th century

Curator: This is Denman Waldo Ross's rendering of the Capitoline Wolf with Romulus and Remus. It's a pencil sketch, measuring about 21 by 29 centimeters. The original sculpture’s narrative is central to Roman foundation mythology. Editor: There’s a fragility in the medium that contrasts starkly with the power usually associated with this scene. The wolf, despite her iconic snarl, seems almost…vulnerable. Curator: It's interesting how Ross chose pencil, emphasizing the hand of the artist and the act of reproduction rather than the bronze or stone we typically associate with grand narratives of state. This underscores the labor involved in artistic creation, and it is divorced from functionality. Editor: And yet, the wolf herself is an enduring symbol of Rome's beginnings, of maternal strength amidst chaos. Even in this sketch, you feel the weight of that history, the primal narrative echoing through time. Curator: Indeed, this work reminds us how artistic choices can reframe even the most deeply embedded cultural symbols, encouraging us to reconsider the stories we tell ourselves. Editor: Absolutely. It invites us to look beyond the heroic façade and consider the human, or perhaps the animal, element in the making of legends.