Laocoön

[|Laocoön]

= = =I, Laocoön=

The image of Laocoön and his sons beset by divinely ordained serpents has stimulated a profound array of aesthetic expression that spans from the beginning of Western art and literature in ancient Greece to the Renaissance and early modern masters and into contemporary thought. At the heart of the Laocoönic phenomenon lies the question of the tentative and crucial relationship between man and gods and the meaning and expression of the putatively contradictory melding of pain and beauty in spatio-temporal art. A full consideration of the related topics accruing from the Laocoön Group would require a lifetime of research and reflection.
 * Purpos**e: to further consider the artistic form, merit, and meaning of the ancient marble statue found in 1506 on the Esquiline hill in Rome.


 * Back to the surface**: Using the internet or library selections, you are to examine images of the Laocoon Group unearthed in 1506 and now displayed in the Vatican, in Rome, and any of the multifarious reinterpretations of the ancient sculpture and myth (cf., El Greco, Rubens, and William Blake).

Formulate your own interpretation of the work and determine a medium of bringing the Laocoön Icon into creation, anew, in time (i.e., February, 2010).


 * Parameters/criteri**a: this is a bona fide “project” assignment; it accounts for 20% of your quarter grade. Though the teacher cannot categorically define schlock and lack of effort, he knows it when he sees it.

[|__Laocoön Versions__]

=[|Hellenistic Philosophy]=

The Hellenistic period was a time of great change in Alexander’s Empire. One of the changes taking place during the decades after Alexander’s death was the breakdown of the //poleis//, or Greek city-states. The erosion of the //poleis// left many people feeling alone and frightened. In their need, they turned to different emerging cultural movements, each of which attempted to provide the Greeks with what they had lost, a sense of community and a place where they “belonged.” Not least important of these emerging movements were the schools of philosophy that were founded and revived during the Hellenistic period.

The influence that philosophy had on the people of the Hellenistic period manifests itself in art. __While some artwork produced during the Hellenistic period reflects the beliefs of the philosophical school of Epicurus, much of the artwork labeled “Hellenistic baroque” stands in contrast to a main belief of the Epicureans: the suppression of emotions.__ One piece of artwork that refutes Epicurus’ teachings on emotions is the //Laocoon//.

Epicurus’ teachings had a profound effect on the Hellenistic world. He was born in 341 BCE in Samos. At the age of 35, he settled in Athens and founded his Garden, which was a place where his followers could gather and be taught. The main tenets of Epicureanism are: 1) unattainable desires cause pain, so you should only desire what you can get, 2) the world is made up of atoms moving randomly in a void, 3) the gods should not be feared because they are uninterested and uninvolved in human affairs, and 4) death should not be feared. In order to live in accordance with these four main goals, Epicurus advocated withdrawing from society and living with other people who held similar beliefs.

Epicurus also taught about emotions. In his __Principal Doctrines__ and __The Vatican Sayings__, Epicurus expounds on the need to eliminate emotions. Three emotions that Epicurus deals with specifically are anger, honor, and fear. “That which is blessed and immortal is not troubled itself, nor does it cause trouble to another. As a result, it is not affected by anger or favor, for these belong to weakness.” [|[i]] Epicurus is saying that strength comes from the absence of anger and the absence of feelings of favor toward anyone. If you are angry with another person, it is because he has done something to hurt you, meaning he held some kind of advantage over you, be it physical strength or cunning. By showing hostility toward that person, you are admitting your inferiority. If you admire someone, you are again showing inferiority by acknowledging that another person is greater than you are in word or deed. Another weakness that Epicurus denounced was fear. “Any device whatever by which one frees himself from the fear of others is a natural good.” [|[ii]] Fearing another person testifies to inferiority, and admitting inferiority is a sign of weakness.

So what is the importance of strength in Epicureanism? In Epigram I, Epicurus equates weakness with being troubled. [|[iii]] Weakness leads to the desire for strength, but one must eliminate all desires, with the exception of those desires that are easily attainable or very basic, such as food and shelter. In another epigram, Epicurus states: “The just man is least disturbed; the unjust man is filled with the greatest turmoil.” [|[iv]] For nearly everyone, being the strongest person, whether physically or intellectually, is impossible. Inability to become superior causes pain, leads to turmoil, and prevents a person from living justly. To avoid this scenario, one must avoid being weak. This means that the emotions of anger, honor, and fear, among others, must be eliminated in order to live a pleasurable, just, calm life.

The elimination of emotions was a major part of Epicurus’ teachings. This tenet stands in stark contrast to an artistic movement of the Hellenistic Period. The baroque movement, while it had been present in the artwork of previous centuries, became prevalent in the period from 225 – 150 BCE. [|[v]] Baroque art displays “a theatrical manner of representation which emphasizes emotional intensity…” [|[vi]] There were many methods available to artists to help them create the baroque affect. Restless surfaces, agonized facial expressions, and deep carvings to create extreme contrasts are three of the ways that Pollitt mentions. [|[vii]] One piece of artwork that exemplifies this baroque style and stands in sharp contrast to Epicurus’ teachings on emotions is the sculpture //Laocoon//.

The Laocoon group was sculpted around 50 BCE. [|[viii]] The sculpture displays Laocoon, a priest in Troy, and his two sons being attacked by two large serpents, which had been sent by the gods to prevent Laocoon from warning the Trojans about the danger of the Trojan Horse. [|[ix]] The sculpture is a marvelous example of the techniques, mentioned by Pollitt, that artists used to create the baroque affect. Laocoon cocks his head to the side as he looks skyward. His brow is furrowed, his mouth slightly open, and his beard and curly hair untamed. His facial expression conveys despair, pain, and wonderment at why he was the target of such a brutal attack. The head of his younger son is tilted backward, and he is obviously in pain as one of the serpents bites his torso. Meanwhile, the older son is looking on. One of the serpents is wounded around his arm, but he is concentrating on removing the coil of the other serpent from his leg. The older son is looking at his father and brother. His expression can best be described as “horrified,” yet through his eyes we see pity and the faint hope that if he could just unwrap the coils, he could escape.

The bodies of the men also convey their suffering. The muscles in Laocoon’s legs and arms are taut, and the veins in his extremities are bulging to the surface. Laocoon’s left hand grasps at the head of a serpent as it bites him, and the knuckles of his hand show the tightness of his grip. As he is being bitten, the muscles in Laocoon’s torso contract and show the outline of his ribs. The intricate details of the sculpture extend all the way down to the feet. The toes on Laocoon’s right foot curl up in pain, and the right foot of his younger son presses in pain against his left foot. The Laocoon group, through the facial expressions and intricacy in the bodily details, displays fear, pain, and a sense of disbelief as Laocoon looks skyward and, by the look on his face, asks “Why me?”

The sculptor of the Laocoon group has rejected many of the teachings of Epicurus. In one of his epigrams, Epicurus states: “Continuous bodily suffering does not last long. Intense pain is very brief, and even pain that barely outweighs physical pleasure does not last many days.” [|[x]] The faces of these men seem to denounce this claim. Laocoon and his sons are suffering, but this suffering is not the pain that goes as quickly as it comes. The serpents have intertwined themselves among the arms and legs of the three men, something that could not have been done quickly. The serpents are biting Laocoon and his younger son on their torsos, a tender spot. Besides the physical pain, there is the mental pain of seeing your father, sons, or brother being slowly poisoned. The sculpture can be viewed as a critique of Epicurus’ view toward pain. While it was easy for Epicurus to sit in his Garden and teach that pain is nothing compared to pleasure, the actual moments of pain do not go by quickly. Thought processes do not normally lead you to say that your pain may be bad now, but that will just make the pleasure more pleasurable when it comes. If we believe Epicurus, there is no afterlife and no god to reward your good deeds, so when does the pleasure come after you have been smothered, bitten, and poisoned by god-sent serpents?

//Laocoon// refutes Epicurus’ claims about pain in another way. While the epigram states that “Intense pain is very brief,” Laocoon and his sons will forever be represented in their most painful moment of life, at the threshold of their deaths. The decision by the artist to sculpt the scene could be viewed as a conscious effort to portray the fact that pain lasts a long time, sometimes forever, and that Epicurus’ teaching that pain is brief is a false teaching. The viewers of the //Laocoon// will see pain and suffering whenever they view the statue, be it for hours, days, or years. The pain of Laocoon and his sons is not brief. If we look at the sculpture today, we still see the pain in Laocoon’s face and the fear of his eldest son, the same pain and fear that were present in these faces more than 2000 years ago when the sculpture was created.

The sculpture also challenges another aspect of Epicurean philosophy that deals with emotions: fear of the gods. Epicurus tells us that we should not fear the gods because the gods are not concerned in human affairs and any kind of fear makes a person weak. Yet the story of the Laocoon is in direct opposition to these views. The gods send the serpents to kill Laocoon because they are against Troy and want to see it destroyed, something Laocoon was attempting to prevent. The gods do not have the laissez-faire attitude that Epicurus claims. Not only are they interested in human affairs, but they must follow these matters with some regularity if they believe that the Trojans have done something worthy of punishment. Also, the gods acted upon their opinions by meting out a horrible, very painful punishment to the wrongdoers. The fear and anguish of Laocoon and his sons makes the viewer reconsider the idea that the gods are not to be feared. After all, look what happened to those who did not show fear. //Laocoon// is a good example of Baroque art, but it becomes fascinating to analyze the artwork in contrast to Epicurus and his philosophical school. Epicurus advocated the suppression of emotions because emotions create weakness, which leads to unjust living. For Epicurus, pain should be looked at in a larger picture: it won’t last forever and it will make you appreciate pleasure more when the pleasure comes. Also, fear is a weakness, especially fear of the gods because the gods don’t care about humans. Yet, in the//Laocoon//, we see the pain of the three men and we know the reason for that pain, ignoring the gods. //Laocoon// indicates that pain can last a long time, even forever, and that fear of the gods is necessary in order to stay alive. We see that much of Hellenistic baroque artwork displays the same disdain for Epicurus’ idea of suppression of emotions. //Laocoon// is an excellent example of this rejection of Epicurean principles.

=[|Greek Sculpture in the round.]=

Kroisos (Kouros) During the archaic period Greek Sculpture followed a set of rigid guidelines, not all that different from the Egyptians. The Kouros were life size or larger free standing sculptures of nude young men. They were made from either wood, terra-cotta or white marble and were generally presented mid stride and were brightly painted. The Kouros have been found in both graveyards and lining the way into a sanctuary. Some believe that the youths may have been famous athletes, others that the figures were symbolic of fertility and the continuity of the family. One of the identifying features of these statues is the Archaic smile. It is a characteristic close lipped smile used to enliven the expressions of the figures. Unlike earlier statues where the clothing gave clues as to the social class and Peplos Kore position of the person be honored, the nudity of these statues removes them from a specific time, place, or class. While similar to the Egyptians these figures are more lifelike presented with greater anatomical accuracy. Their massive limbs and torsos suggest heroic strength and on the bases of some there were engravings that advised the viewer to stop, remember and emulate the noble qualities. The corresponding female statues were always shown clothed and were called kore. It is believed they probably represented deities, priestesses, or nymphs. Nymphs were young female immortals who waited upon the gods. This is the Peplos Kore, so named because of the distinctive drape of cloth, usually of wool, that is folded over her bodice and pinned at the shoulders. This figure once wore a metal crown and earrings and still has traces of the paint that once covered it’s surface. When the Persians sacked the city of Athens in 480 BC many of the statues were broken and left as debris. Later the Acropolis was built on top of the rubble. Later excavations have revealed many of the abandoned statues. This Kore was one of these forgotten pieces. The Discus Thrower During the classical period sculpture changed dramatically. Although sculptures still used a canon of proportions the sculptures were much more lifelike and had greater individual characteristics. Faces showed greater emotion and figures were often found in motion. This is no small feat. Working with heavy marble it required a great deal of skill and mathematical understanding to provide counterbalances that left these statues standing and not tipping to one side. The discus thrower is a perfect example of the classic period of Greek sculpture in the round. Myron was the famous Greek Sculpture of the Discus thrower. Myron, however, did not do this sculpture in marble, but in bronze. The Greeks discovered how to do hollow-casting with bronze which allowed a great deal more freedom than marble and soon became the medium of choice. This choice has left us with few original Greek statues. It was just to easy and tempting to melt down the statues and reuse the bronze. Fortunately the Romans often made marble copies of the works before they were melted down. What has survived of the discus thrower are Roman copies and not the original. In the discus thrower Myron caught the athlete as he poised to unwind and propel the discus. While Myron Riace Warrior was greatly admired for this work it is interesting that he was just as famous in his day for another sculpture that did not survive, a bronze of a cow. The Riace Warriors are two bronze statues that have survived. The warriors were found at the bottom of the ocean and meticulous conservators have worked to restore them to their original conditions. They provide an interesting peek into the Greek mindset. The body is an idealized, heroic leader/warrior whose youthfulness is belied by his more mature face. The face is that of an older man who has acquired wisdom and experience. These advantages of youth and experience are brought together in one work. The lifelikeness of the statue was enhanced by the addition of eyeballs made of stone and colored glass. The eyelashes and eyebrows were made of separately cast individual strips of bronze, and the lips and nipples were done in copper. There is plating along the teeth that suggest they were done in silver. Aphrodite of Knidos, Praxiteles This next figure of Aphrodite was done by the Greek sculptor Praxiteles. He created the statue for the city of Knidos. This work is considered seminal because it is the first time we know of that the Greeks did a public statue like this of a woman in the nude. Although nudity was expected and admired for male statues it had been considered a sign of low character in women. This piece however won wide acceptance and viewers of the day found the statue to be of such enchanting beauty that it was considered a public model of positive moral values. The story is told that Aphrodite herself came down to view the statue and upon seeing it exclaimed, “Where did Praxiteles see me naked?” This was a favorite statue among the Romans and hundreds of copies were made, with more than 50 surviving to today. The Hellenistic Period in Greek art shows a drastic change as pieces show extreme Gallic Chieftain killing his wife. expressions of pain, stress, anger, or despair. Not all works during this period were like the three I’ve chosen to include here. Some combined these elements with the classical elements. You will notice that the artists is trying elicit a specific emotional reponse from the viewer, this was characteristic of Hellenistic art. This movement started in Pergamon in Asia Minor. In this first work we see one of the works done as part of a group commemorating the Greek victory over the Gauls. The Greeks admired the heroism of the Gauls and sought to arouse the viewers admiration and pity for his subjects. In this work we have a chieftain killing his wife and himself. This was originally part of a group of statues on a raised dias that could be viewed from all sides. Laocoon and His sons This next work was inspired by the story of Laocoon. During the Trojan war, the priest, Laocoon warned the Trojans not to trust the gift of the Trojan horse, that it was a trick designed to bring the enemy into the city. The gods who were on the sides of the Greeks during the war wanted to retaliate against Laocoon for his warning. They sent a sea creature to kill him and his sons as the wondered along the shoreline. This work was meant to be viewed from the front and many historians believe this is actually an original Greek sculpture and not a Roman copy. The work shows the anguish of Laocoon as he struggles to free himself and his children. This last work is the famous Nike, or goddess of victory. Originally Nike of Samothrace seen descending from the prow of a ship this sculpture shows the goddess as she descends against an ocean breeze. Her arm which has been lost (although pieces have been recovered) would have had her right arm coming up to cup her mouth as she shouted out the victory. The original piece was fittingly part of a war memorial. Feeling the movement and power of the piece viewers are struck by it’s size and beauty. The wings provide a backward thrust that balances the forward motion of the body. The image of the body underneath the clothing is clearly seen showing the skill of the artist.

=The Laocoön of El Greco=



Laocoon is a perfect demonstration of how El Greco, from his perch on the periphery of the Renaissance, found the right conditions for his radical pictorial experiments. The composition, perhaps unfinished, is a purposeful deconstruction of the most famous antique sculptural group known to the Renaissance. El Greco disrupts the unity and harmony of the original composition by borrowing and reworking poses from another hallowed work, Michelangelo's [|Medici]<span class="hint" style="background-color: #fdf5e6; border-bottom-color: black; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: black; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: black; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: black; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; color: black; font: normal normal normal 1em/normal Arial; margin-left: 6px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; position: absolute; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; visibility: hidden; width: 300px;"> tombs. In the sculpture, Laocoon and his sons share a common fate as the serpent coils around them, strangling them to death. To El Greco, this composition was pure melodrama; on the contrary, he understood death as "a secret revealed to one person at a time." Thus in his canvas the writhing, [|elongated]<span class="hint" style="background-color: #fdf5e6; border-bottom-color: black; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: black; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: black; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: black; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; color: black; font: normal normal normal 1em/normal Arial; margin-left: 6px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; position: absolute; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; visibility: hidden; width: 300px;">

figures struggle individually with their fate, while two enigmatic figures at the right observe the calamity but do not move to help. The background view of sixteenth-century Toledo, which displaces the ancient city of Troy and warps historical time, moves forward and back in pictorial space like a Cubist passage; it is roped into the foreground by the neat semicircle of the snake's tail even as it appears to hover in the distance. Almost lost in the middle ground, and out of scale with anything else in the picture, is the Trojan horse, the [|linchpin]<span class="hint" style="background-color: #fdf5e6; border-bottom-color: black; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: black; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: black; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: black; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; color: black; font: normal normal normal 1em/normal Arial; margin-left: 6px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; position: absolute; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; visibility: hidden; width: 300px;">

of the narrative here almost thrown away by the audacious artist. Flat, abstract clouds [|suffused]<span class="hint" style="background-color: #fdf5e6; border-bottom-color: black; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: black; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: black; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: black; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; color: black; font: normal normal normal 1em/normal Arial; margin-left: 6px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; position: absolute; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; visibility: hidden; width: 300px;">

with a steely light are suspended over the composition yet are not firmly situated in the sky. Looked at in one way, they cover the town, but in another they move slowly in the direction of the hapless priest and his sons. Linear perspective, on which Renaissance [|illusionism] is based, is revealed for the trick that it is, and pictorial space is shaped and reshaped at the whim of the artist.