What Could We Learn from Laocoon and His Sons Sculpture?

The Laocoon and his sons sculpture is one of the famous sculpture works of ancient Greek. The entire sculpture is vivid and clear in image, mature and complete in structure, and rich and authentic in artistic expression. It embodies the aesthetic concept of “noble simplicity, great admiration”.

First: The origin of the sculpture

Laocoon and his sons sculpture was inspired by ancient Greek mythology. In a battle between ancient Greece and Troy, Laocoon saw through the “Trojan Horse” and strongly opposed the entry of the Trojan horse into the city, ignoring the meaning of the gods. As a result, Athena was dissatisfied. She sent two pythons to kill Laocoon and his two sons. The whole sculpture shows the painful and helpless scene of the father and son being entangled by the pythons.

Second: The representation of sculpture

The marble sculpture Laocoon presents graceful lines. The creator embodies the principle of beautiful lines in the sculpture. The tight lines on the bodies of Laocoon and his son are entwined with the snake S-shaped body, forming a visual impact. The tense psychological activity and the power curve are portrayed to reflect a rich sense of rhythm, the coexistence of rigidity and flexibility, and the fusion of rationality and sensibility.

The Laocoon marble statue reflects the dynamic beauty. When we look at this sculpture from an aesthetic perspective, it is not only static. The sculpture presents the dynamic process of the father and son’s longing for life, and resisting the giant snake to the death. The figures lean forward slightly, and the entanglement of humans and snakes reflects a dynamic beauty. The fluidity of the lines gives the sculpture a dynamic sense.

Third: The influence of sculpture on art:

In the field of sculpture, the expression of sculpture has been increased, creating a precedent for tragic sculpture art. In order to exaggerate the original image, the sculptors of the group marble sculpture Laocoon and his sons adopted dramatic expressions. The human body twists with the snake’s S shape, expressing a strong distortion, increasing the tragic effect, and inspiring the viewer’s infinite imagination.

In the field of aesthetics, the expressions of the protagonists in poetry and plastic arts are quite different. In the description of the Roman poet Virgil, it was as if he had seen Laocoon’s twisted body and hideous face, roaring loudly. It can be seen that in poetry, sometimes ugliness can enhance the ridiculousness of comedy and the horror of the tragedy. But the sculpture is different.

Although Laocoon is entangled by snakes, there is no hideous pain on his face. It is not a roar, but a kind of solemnity and calmness. The intense physical distortion under the condition of physical pain is incompatible with the highest degree of beauty. It can be seen that the facial expressions of “Laocoon” are not as intense and painful as people think, and looking for its origin can also reflect the heroism of the Greeks.