Art

The world currently has an overwhelming number of works of art coming from different places and from different time and era. There are paintings and sculptures and other works by famous artists that serves more than the aesthetic analysis of art works but are also representative of other more meaningful significance in consideration to its contextual bearing and its other aspects of importance. Artists from all around the world in different time and places have come up with works of art that defines them as an artist and more importantly, define artistic movements, artistic significance and connects art with the other aspects of the socio-cultural life. One of the important and significant works of art in the field of sculpture is the Laocoon statue. Laocoon, both the statue and the story that has inspired the sculpture are significant aspects of the artistic aspect of the society.

The name Laocoon is prominent in both literature and in the arts. Laocoon is an important character in the writings of popular authors of past works. From this realm, Laocoon is transferred in the world of visual arts when the artists came to know about Laocoon, his life, his struggles and his death. Laocoon is an individual present in the mythology of both the Greeks and the Romans. He was believed to be a priest of Poseidon who hails from Troy. Despite his very limited role in the Trojan War and his being little-known compared to other personalities in the Trojan War, his role was important and he was a person who appeared to have a vision or foresight particularly about the Trojan Horse. Laocoon warned the Trojans about accepting the Trojan Horse, which the unwitting Trojans ignored.

Historians all believe in the fact that regardless of the fate of Laocoon when he was alive, he was destined for a tragic life in the end. Although there was confusion as to the real explanation surrounding his death, what is definitive is that Laocoon was fated to die because of the displeasure of the gods, whoever that might be and for whatever reason. The only certain thing was that Laocoon died because of his transgressions against the gods. His death would come as a surprise for Laocoon. The serpents sent to kill him and his sons were described in many writings as monstrous sea snakes that were abnormally big compared to ordinary snakes. These snakes appeared to have been created for this particular task  to kill people  considering the description of the snake as bathing in stains of blood all over its crest and body. Its appearance and movement possessed a sense of demonic evil no one can escape from, a sight that can cause fear in the hearts of men who was to die a grisly death from this monsters from the gods.

There are two explanations regarding the reason for the death of Laocoon and his two sons as depicted in the sculptures found in many places all around the world. First was the idea that he was killed because of the goddess Minervas displeasure over the fact that Laocoon threw a spear at the Trojan Horse brought by the Greeks as an offering, considering Minvervas favoring of the Greeks at the time. Second, there was the belief that Laocoon has violated the sacred place of Poseidon by procreating in that place.

During his time, there are certain rules and laws and policies governing the life of a priest like him. This includes a set of things that the individual is not allowed to do, not to mention actions that are not allowed in certain places deemed as sacred and protected by the gods. It was believed that it was the violation of certain prohibition made by the gods that resulted in the fate of Laocoon and his children.

When Laocoon died, the city-state of Troy believes that it has something to do with what he prophesized regarding the Trojan Horse and that the two events are strongly linked and connected to one another. Others believe that Laocoons death merely coincided with the fall of troy. Laocoon was already fated to die and that it just so happened that he died in a tumultuous event in Troy that had historians and critics read more into the situation than necessary and applicable.

This is not surprising since these things are always subjected to analysis and interpretation which, more often than not, varies from one another and counters one anothers version in one way or another. In Gills explanation and analysis, the death of Laocoon is more political than personal and insult-related consequence. The gods merely want Laocoon and his perspective on the wooden horse out of the way so that the Greeks can complete their victory and their conquest of Troy. They have been attacking Troy ceaselessly and with hardly any prospect of victory if not for the success of the plot involving the Greeks use of the Trojan Horse. The snakes were in fact assassins sent by the Gods to eliminate an important person that can hinder the success of Greece. This is considering the fact that Laocoon is a priest and what he has to say is important in Troy. Although not many believed him, the gods wanted to be sure and had Laocoon killed (Gill 155). Laocoon...warned his fellow-citizens not to permit the wooden horse to enter Troy. The snakes were sent, by Apollo and Artemis - pro-Greek - in order to destroy Laocoon and thus persuade the Trojans to admit the horse and seal their own fate (Gill 155).

Whatever the real reason was, the only certain thing is that Laocoon died of a grisly and gruesome death, being strangled by sea serpents sent by the gods from the seas, strangling Laocoon and his sons to death. This was what artists and sculptures immortalized in the life of Laocoon in consideration to the fact that this maybe the only aspect of his life that is interesting enough and with sufficient plot and emotion to make for a good sculpture like this one. It is one of the popular works of art coming from that particular time and era, inspiring other works of art especially since many other artists are inspired by the beauty of this particular statue.

Laocoons death was considered by some critics and historians as symbolic. For some analysts, they believe that the death of Laocoon symbolized and coincided with the fall of Troy, that as Laocoon fell, so would Troy. Both were subjected to the actions and interventions of the gods that led to their death or fall. When Laocoon warned Troy of the evil in the wooden horse offered by the Greeks which was ignored by the Trojans, it was followed by the attack of the two sea serpents and the death of Laocoon and his sons. Troys ignoring Laocoons plea was followed by the fall of Troy from the Greeks. The death of Troy and many of her sons as Greek soldiers lay siege on the poorly defended and unsuspecting Troy (Gill 155). It was Laocoons downfall that led directly to the catastrophic Fall of Troy (Gill 155).

This very dramatic, tragic, grisly and unforgettable end-of-life of Laocoon and his sons has become the target subject of artists in many different fields and not just in visual arts but also in literature as well. One of the most popular and earliest version and rendition of this scene is the white marble sculpture of this exact event entitled Laocoon and His Sons. According to Pliny the Elder, it was a sculpture created by the hands of three skilled sculptors from Rhodes, namely Polydorus, Athenodoros and Agesander. This sculpture would become the sculpture that would be remembered well as the tangible object that immortalized the dying moments of Laocoon and his sons.

In the sculpture, the central figure is Laocoon, a naked, muscular and towering central piece that appears to be seated while the sea serpent slithers all over his body. His face, tilted and angled in a certain direction, appears to be in anguish and appears to be saying something to the gods even close to his death, either praying or cursing the gods for his fate and for the fate of his children (Gill 155). Laocoon himself, is suffering from traumatic shock, following the emotion of fright, produced by the serpents unexpected attack (Gill 155).

Laocoons form appears to strike a very dynamic pose portraying movement and representative of strong human emotions, not to mention the fine sculpture detail in the body of Laocoon and his sons, namely Antiphantes and Thymbraeus. This sculpture is currently situated in the Vatican Museum in Rome. Many other famous sculptors and artists made their own version of the tragedy of Laocoon and his two sons. One of the notable versions was created by the renowned artist named Baccio Bandinelli. The many different versions of this tragic death of Laocoon are found in many different places including Rome, Florence and in Ukraine, among others. Literature was also strongly influenced and inspired by this sculpture and by the story of Laocoon himself. This includes the works of Lessing (Carrier 135) and Daniel Albright, among others.

The sculpture Laocoon and his Sons is an important Hellenistic-era sculpture. It embodies some of the important Hellenistic era ethos and essence in sculpture - the move towards sculptures that express movement and not just as still, ramrod, upright figures and the emphasis on emotions including agony, fear, indignation, etc. The Laocoon and his Sons was a sculpture that helps explore the new possibilities for idealized realism in sculpture, by focusing and incorporating the dramatic show of emotion and feelings in the sculpture to which the audience can identify and relate to. Much debate and focus has been attributed in particular to the face of Laocoon. His forehead features wrinkles that depict pain and emotional anguish. His parted lips appear to be moaning from the same pain and anguish while his eyes portray the same emotion.

Looking at the other details of the sculpture like the taut muscles, the bulging veins, the curled toes and the position of the parts of the body of the individual all depict pain and struggle for all three individuals. Even the snakes, which Pliny the Elder described as marvelous in their movement, was contributing to the feeling of flow of movement and emotion in the overall composition. The snake in fact has a significant role in the sculpture. It was not only the reminder of the impending death and the symbolism of death to befall man. It was also critical and key to the composition of the sculpture because of the role of the snake image as a visual cue that allows the audience to look at one person to the next, from Laocoons son on the left side to Laocoon to his son at the right. All are interconnected by the image of the slithering snake.

Besides the discussion on emotions as well as motion, the Laocoon is important because of its role providing example in the discussion of the parallelism of and unitary use of pain and beauty in neoclassical approach in visual arts. According to Ruprecht, neoclassicist ideals include the idea that part of the depiction of the physical beauty and visual aesthetic is dependent on the presence of and role of pain in the central image of the composition and in the struggle of the individuals which act as focal point of the work of art (Ruprecht 5). In the case of Laocoon, the figures provide this exact example - the audience gets the chance to experience and see physical beauty and artistic craftsmanship and detail. The physical visual beauty is aided and made possible because of the presence of pain in Laocoon and his sons.

Because of the pain that Laocoon and his sons are experiencing as depicted in the sculpture, the artist was given the chance and the opportunity to create something visually impressive. If Laocoon and his sons were merely standing up or walking without any feeling of pain, tragedy, anguish and other strong emotions, the detail on the body structure and parts may not be as extensive and as expressive as it was during this tragic moment in the life of Laocoon and his sons. Ruprecht cited the idea of Simon Richter who explained that the relation of pain and beauty is crucial to the neoclassicist aesthetic, claiming that this aesthetic simultaneously conceals and is dependent on some form of the dynamics of the infliction of bodily pain (Ruprecht 5).

From the time the sculpture was discovered, the art world was quick to acknowledge the aesthetic merit and value of this work of art (Schweitzer 1). The Laocoon statue was discovered in 1506 and was immediately hailed as one of the greatest examples of classical art (Schweitzer 1). Critics and analysts were quick to point out that the Laocoon statue is not merely a perfect and ideal work of art because of its characteristics, but it also has other roles in the art world, like how this statue challenges art ideals, for one (Ruprecht 5). Widely regarded as the perfect work of art, Laocoon nevertheless questions the common neoclassicist idealisations (Ruprecht 5). The sculpture Laocoon and His Sons is one of the highly praised sculptures not only based on its time of creation but even today, because of many different reasons. One of the reasons was discussed earlier, for its representation of the essence of the Hellenistic style in depicting human body in motion and in state of intense emotion. The insistence on motion captured by the sculptor, and on the specific beauty of this endeavor, found it most characteristic expression in the discussion of the Laocoon statue (Ruprecht, p5). Another reason why it is highly valued is that besides its aesthetic value, it also was able to survive with most of its part intact considering the many times this sculpture was moved and transported since its creation. According to Brilliant, the many different interpretations and analysis of Laocoon should not impact the fact that it is an excellent work of art for what it is visually. The veil of interpretations seemed to interfere with the direct perception of this prestigious artwork as an exemplar of ancient art, surviving into the present intact (Brilliant 125).

The sculpture Laocoon and his Sons is a powerful work of art for many different reasons. These reasons have already been explored by historians and art critics and have been explained for its merit and relevance. It is surprising how a sculpture like the Laocoon statue can have many different aspects and meanings into it, how it is the embodiment of the artistic perfection and an important icon when it comes to representing an era and an art movement that galvanizes the importance and significance of the Laocoon sculpture.