The Discovery of Romulus and Remus (recto); Three Ancient Soldiers (verso)
1690–1700
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, on brownish paper
Dimensions
7-5/8 x 11-7/16 in. (19.4 x 29.1 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Cornelius Vanderbilt, 1880
Accession Number
80.3.466
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late Baroque era, Italian artist Paolo Pagani (1655–1716) created this dynamic double-sided drawing around 1690–1700, capturing mythological drama on its recto and classical vigor on its verso. The illustrates *The Discovery of Romulus and Remus*, the legendary twin founders of Rome, nursed by a she-wolf and found by a shepherd—a timeless Roman myth symbolizing origins and destiny. Flipping to the back reveals *Three Ancient Soldiers*, likely figural studies evoking heroic antiquity, with muscular forms and poised stances that reflect Pagani's interest in classical history and movement....