The Shepherd Finding Romulus near the Goat
Medium
Etching on brown paper; state before the inscription
Dimensions
sheet: 10 3/16 x 13 3/16 in. (25.9 x 33.5 cm) plate: 9 7/8 x 12 13/16 in. (25.1 x 32.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Janet Lee Kadesky Ruttenberg Fund, in honor of Colta Ives, 2010
Accession Number
2010.79
Tags
Art Historical Context
This etching by Carl Baron vonittinghoff captures a pivotal moment from Rome’s founding myth: a humble shepherd discovering the infant Romulus near a goat. The scene draws on ancient legends in which the twins Romulus and Remus, abandoned the Tiber, are rescued and nurtured in the wild before fulfilling their destiny as founders of a great city. Though the date of the print remains unknown, the work reflects a long tradition of artists interpreting these stories to explore themes of fate, nature, and humble beginnings. Printed on warm brown paper in a state before any inscription, the etching...