The Lone Wolf

When I was a youngster, my mother would often visit friends and relatives in Globeville. If she took us with her, we were instructed to be on our best behavior and remain quiet unless we were spoken to. We would be introduced, and our hosts would remark on how cute we were, or how we resembled my mom or my grandparents. We would then be offered a cookie and given a magazine to keep us entertained while the grown-ups talked.

While we sat quietly we had plenty of time to observe our surroundings. There were lace tablecloths and doilies, embroidered towels and table runners and frequently, ashtrays. There were photos of relatives in the Old Country and snapshots of family here. 

In many of these homes, a framed print of a painting called "The Lone Wolf" hung in the living room. (My grandmother, her sister and several aunts and uncles also had this print).

The painting depicts a solitary wolf standing on a hill overlooking a small village below. It's nighttime and cold. I imagined the villagers huddled inside to stay warm and safe. They have been warned about wolves. I also felt sorry for the wolf. He keeps a lonely vigil with no other members of his pack. A sad and scary subject for a wall hanging.

The painting certainly would have resonated with Germans from Russia, whose colonies along the Volga were surrounded by danger: isolation, a harsh climate and being increasingly unwelcome strangers in a strange land.

When I began interviewing Globeville residents in the 1990s, there was "The Lone Wolf" again. In Sarah Wolf's house, and her sister-in-law Pauline's home. My uncle still had one above the sofa. Now, I found the image comforting, even reassuring.

The Lone Wolf (c. 1890) is perhaps the most famous painting — and most widely reproduced — of Alfred Von Wierusz-Kowalski, a Polish painter.

Working in a detailed realistic style, many of Von Wierusz-Kowalski’s canvases feature scenes of travel, sporting, and hunting during wintertime, with horses, riders, and carriages featured as popular motifs. 

Perhaps some of Globeville's early settlers were familiar with Wierusz-Kowalski's work. Perhaps it was an affordable piece of art and held meaning for immigrants. My cousins now have the paintings, and I enjoy the warm memories it brings.