Laocoön and His Sons
Ancient sculpture of a Trojan priest and his sons attacked by serpents.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The Laocoön Group, also called Laocoön and His Sons, is an ancient sculpture depicting the Trojan priest Laocoön and his sons being attacked by sea serpents. Excavated in Rome in 1506, it has been one of the most famous ancient sculptures since its public display in the Vatican Museums, where it remains today. The work is very likely the same one praised by Pliny the Elder, who attributed it to three Greek sculptors from Rhodes: Agesander, Athenodoros, and Polydorus.
- Subject
- Laocoön and his sons (names not part of the sculpture's canonical history)
- Material
- White marble (at least seven interlocking pieces)
- Height
- Just over 2 m (6 ft 7 in)
- Period
- Hellenistic baroque; dates suggested range from 200 BC to 70s AD
- Attributed to
- Agesander, Athenodoros, Polydorus of Rhodes
- Location
- Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican Museums
- Excavation
- Rome, 1506
Lore & Background
The sculpture is considered one of the finest examples of the Hellenistic baroque, in the Greek tradition. Its origin is uncertain: it may be an original work or a copy of an earlier bronze. Some believe it a copy from the early Imperial period; others think it an original continuing the Pergamene style of some two centuries earlier. It was probably commissioned for a wealthy Roman's home, possibly from the Imperial family. The preferred date is Julio-Claudian (27 BC to 68 AD). The group is missing several parts and underwent ancient modifications and restorations since excavation. The names Antiphantes and Thymbraeus, sometimes given to the sons, are later literary additions and not part of the sculpture's established identity.
Reader's Guide
The Laocoön Group has been called 'the prototypical icon of human agony' in Western art. Unlike Christian depictions of suffering, the agony here suggests neither redemption nor reward. The contorted facial expressions, especially Laocoön's bulging eyebrows, were noted by Guillaume Duchenne de Boulogne as physiologically impossible. The snakes are depicted as both biting and constricting, probably venomous as in Virgil. The composition is carefully calculated, with the two sons rather small in scale compared to their father, adding to the central figure's impact. Pliny's description of the work as carved from a single block contrasts with the Vatican work's seven interlocking pieces, leading some to question its authenticity. The sculpture's influence on Renaissance and later art is immense, though its exact date and origin remain debated.
Did You Know?
- The statue is very likely the same one praised by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History.
- Pliny attributed the work to three Greek sculptors from Rhodes: Agesander, Athenodoros, and Polydorus.
- The sculpture is made from at least seven interlocking pieces of marble, not a single block as Pliny stated.
- The preferred date for the statue is Julio-Claudian (27 BC to 68 AD), though suggestions range from 200 BC to the 70s AD.
- The sons are not definitively named in the sculpture's canonical history; the names Antiphantes and Thymbraeus are later literary additions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Laocoön and His Sons?
It is an ancient marble sculpture showing the Trojan priest Laocoön struggling alongside his two sons, Antiphantes and Thymbraeus, as sea serpents coil around their bodies. The piece is carved from at least seven interlocking sections of white marble and stands just over two metres tall.
Who sculpted Laocoön and His Sons?
The work is traditionally credited to three Hellenistic-period Greek artists from Rhodes: Agesander, Athenodoros, and Polydorus. Pliny the Elder praised this very sculpture in his writings, though modern scholars debate whether the original dates to around 200 BC or as late as the 70s AD.
Where is the Laocoön Group displayed today?
The sculpture is housed in the Museo Pio-Clementino at the Vatican Museums in Rome. It has been on public view there since its dramatic rediscovery in 1506, when it was unearthed during excavation work in the city.
What myth does Laocoön and His Sons depict?
The scene captures the moment the Trojan priest Laocoön and his two sons are attacked and strangled by monstrous sea serpents sent by the gods. In the broader Trojan War narrative, this punishment is understood as divine retribution for Laocoön's warning against the Greek wooden horse.
Why is Laocoön and His Sons considered so important?
It became one of the most celebrated ancient sculptures in history after its 1506 discovery in Rome, sparking intense artistic and scholarly interest for centuries. Its dramatic Hellenistic baroque style, with twisted muscular bodies and raw emotional expression, made it a defining reference point for Renaissance and later artists.
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