Caricature of the Laocoön Sculptural Group
Original title: Caricature of the Laocoön scuptural group, excavated in Rome in 1506
kurzbeschreibung
Nicolò Boldrini's woodcut caricature, made around 1540–45, pokes fun at the famous ancient Laocoön sculpture, unearthed in Rome in 1506. The figure group appears in a contorted pose, wrapped in snakes, set against a landscape backdrop.
Description
A human figure stands upright, but its posture is heavily distorted; several carefully drawn snakes coil tightly around the body, heightening the caricatural exaggeration. Trees, buildings and a tower break up the landscape behind. The layout feels symmetrical, with the central figure group as the main motif. Monochrome in the typical tonal range of a woodcut, the image shows even lighting throughout.
Context
The Hellenistic Laocoön group was discovered in Rome in 1506 and drew great admiration. Boldrini, a Venetian woodcut artist, made this caricature in the mid-16th century – a time when ancient artworks were often copied and parodied. The sheet belongs to a series of prints that humorously distort classical sculptures. It shows how Renaissance artists played with the authority of antiquity and questioned it critically.
Impact
At first your eye lands on the twisted figure, whose distortion makes the grandeur of the original ridiculous and at the same time unsettling. The detailed snakes and the symmetrical arrangement give the sheet graphic precision that underlines the humorous effect. So the work invites a smile without the artistic quality of the woodcut suffering for it.
Technique
For this woodcut, the motif was cut into a wooden block and then printed on paper. The technique allows fine lines and hatching, which stand out clearly in the snakes and the landscape. The sheet measures 36.2 x 49.2 cm, with the actual printed image taking up 27.3 x 40 cm.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)