Laocoön and His Sons
Laocoön and His Sons
Agesander, Athenodorus, and Polydorus of Rhodes
40-20 C.E. Marble Sculpture, 208 x 163 x 112 cm.
Laocoön and His Sons remains one of the most famed and studied classical sculptures to be rediscovered. Ancient classical texts written by Pliny the Elder described the sculpture as one of the most beautiful creations ever encountered. Thus when it was excavated in 1506, Pope Julius II sent two famous artists, Michelangelo and Giuliano da Sangallo to verify it as the famed Laocoön referenced in classical texts. The sculpture was transported to the Vatican where it was placed in the pope’s personal courtyard, the Belvedere, where the sculpture influenced the arts and politics. For example, when Napoleon defeated the Italian states, he did not take the David sculpture as a spoil of war with him. Rather, his most prized acquisition was Laocoön and His Sons, After Napoleons’s defeat at Waterloo, the sculpture was returned to the papacy.
Laocoön and His Sons is a Hellenistic sculpture, where the clothes are finely draped and the muscles are toned and highly detailed. By its use of motion and expression, the sculpture captures Laocoön and His Sons’ final moments (Howard 422). The sculpture is a depiction of Laocoön, a Trojan priest, being punished by the gods for trying to convince fellow Trojans that the Trojan Horse would lead to the demise of the city, stating “beware of Greeks bearing gifts”. Although created in Rhodes by Greek artists, the sculpture was intended for Emperor Titus of Rome; such a sculpture would fit well in the royal imperial palace, as the Romans trace their lineage back to to Trojans (Frischer). The sculpture depicts the hours before the fall of Troy, and hence the movement of their ancestors to the Italian peninsula. Ancient cultures would have understood this sculpture as an example of what happens to those who displease the gods, as well as the theoretical start of the Roman lineage.
Although the sculpture was marble, the complex and meticulous detail in the naked bodies and clothing produces well-defined and subtle creases allowing for sunlight to naturally form shades and highlights depending on the time of day. Similar to a well painted portrait, the sculpture is lifelike, and more importantly, it is three-dimensional snapshot of an event, a difficult moment to emulate in painting. Although Laocoönis the focal point, his two sons also catch the viewer’s eye as the younger son is captured in his final moments, as the serpent bites into his chest and the boy’s body remains limp. Each character of the tripartite piece is a separate entity, fighting for his own survival; yet at the same time there is unity established by the two serpents binding the three human forms together.
The detailed anatomy of the bodies assist in creating a sense of motion, as the well defined muscles and veins of Laocoön show the strain of the body as he fruitlessly tries to fend off the serpents. Laocoön’s slanted sitting position, as well as his unveiled garments capture his inevitable demise. The angling of the sons also adds to the scene, as the younger child is captured slumping down as the serpent’s coils twist around him and the serpent overpowers the boy. The older son is portrayed trying to free himself from the hold of the serpents, while the reptiles attack his brother and father. The proportion of the serpents is unnatural, as the body of serpent is as thick as the younger son’s thighs. The muscularity of the serpents’ bodies and the twisting and bulging forms captures the power and the impending demise of all three Trojans.
The facial complexions of the Trojans have very strong expressive quantities, as they clearly depict the agony and the wrath of the gods. Each character has a different expression. The younger son’s facial is of helplessness, while the older son’s face depicts horror and panic. Laocoön’sface reveals agony and defeat in a realistic form that captures the audience’s attention and creates pathos. The sculpture masterfully presents human form, emotions, and motion while overall representing the wrath of the gods. The intense pain shown in the sculpture contrasts the beauty and perfection of the overall sculpture.
When the sculpture was unearthed in 1506, Pope Julius II took great interest in its acquisition. Not only was it the famed sculpture from Plimy the Elder’s classical text, but it also solidified the papacy’s power. The last known owner of the sculpture was Emperor Titus who was a just, fair ruler of the Roman Empire; thus the sculpture became an heirloom to the papacy, connecting the rulers of ancient Rome to the papal rulers of Rome. The sculpture could be understood as a crown passed down through the centuries and into the hands of Pope Julius II and the Church. The Donation of Constantine reiterates that Emperor Constantine allotted the Western Roman Empire to the Church, similarly to the sculpture as it proves the validity of papal control of Rome and Western Europe(Frischer). Some historians argue that the sculpture was welcomed so enthusiastically due to its connection to the classical world, at the time when many wanted to bring Rome to its former glory (Frischer).
This Hellenistic art piece inspired many famous artists including Michelangelo, Sangallo, El Greco, Titian, and Rubens to name a few (Volpe and Parisi). Laocoön and His Sons had a profound effect on western art as many artists would study it and revive classical art styles, which is evidenced in art pieces after 1506. For example, in Michangalo’s Sistine Chapel, the ceiling contains many figures with similarly muscular anatomies and were depicted in strained positions all emulating Laocoön’s pose (Volpe and Parisi). Also many of the sculptures designed for Pope Julius II’s tomb included human figures emulating serpent poses (Volpe and Parisi).
Although Laocoön and His Sons is not an art piece created during the Renaissance, it was nonethelessan important find during the 16th century, creating a bridge between antiquity and the Renaissance, and thus the liberal arts. Humanists that would have read Plimy the Elder’s texts, would understand the significance of finding the lost and famed sculpture of Laocoön, primarily due to their liberal education. Artists also were able to study ancient sculpture ancient techniques and apply them to Renaissance sculptures and paintings. The sculpture was used as a political tool allowing the papacy to claim a connection between two great civilizations, the Catholic and the Roman empires.
List of Works Cited
Frischer, Bernard. "The Digital Sculpture Project." Digital Sculpture Project: Laocoon. University of Virginia, 22 Mar. 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.
Howard, Seymour. “Laocoon Rerestored”. American Journal of Archaeology 93.3 (1989): 417–422. Web. 08 Apr. 2016
Volpe, Rita, and Antonella Parisi. "The Digital Sculpture Project." Digital Sculpture Project: Laocoon: The Last Enigma. Trans. Bernard Frischer. University of Virginia, 22 Mar. 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.