The sculptural group "Laocoön and His Sons" depicts the deadly struggle of the Trojan priest Laocoön and his sons with serpents. This outstanding work of ancient art from the Hellenistic period was created by Greek sculptors of the Rhodian school: Agesander, Polydorus, and Athenodorus.
History and Mythology
In ancient Greek mythology, Laocoön was a priest of Apollo in Troy. During the Trojan War, he warned the Trojans against bringing the Trojan Horse into the city. According to the myth, Apollo or Athena (depending on the version) sent two enormous serpents that strangled Laocoön's sons – Antiphon and Thymbraeus – and then the priest himself.
Most scholars believe that the marble sculpture that has come down to us (height 242 cm), displayed in the Octagonal Court of the Vatican Museums' Pio-Clementino, is a copy from the second half of the 1st century BCE. The original, executed in bronze around 200 BCE in Pergamon, has not survived.
Discovery of the Sculpture
The find was made on January 14, 1506, by Felice de Fredis in Rome, during excavation work on a vineyard near the church of San Pietro in Vincoli. The sculpture, broken into eight pieces, was discovered on the summit of the Oppian Hill. Upon learning of the find, Pope Julius II immediately sent architect Giuliano da Sangallo, who confirmed the work's authenticity, declaring: "This is the Laocoön mentioned by Pliny."
Influence on Art
During the European Neoclassical era, "Laocoön" was considered one of the highest achievements of ancient art. J.J. Winckelmann paradoxically chose "Laocoön" to illustrate his definition of the ideal of ancient art as "noble simplicity and calm grandeur."
The sculpture aroused extraordinary interest. The expression and heroic plasticity of Laocoön inspired many artists, from Michelangelo to Titian and Andrea del Sarto. Many of Michelangelo's works were created under its influence, including the figures in the Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes.
The celebrated sculptural group spawned numerous copies and replicas. In Russia, copies of "Laocoön" can be seen in Moscow at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts on Volkhonka Street, and at the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.