The stones of Rome are quivering with excitement this week as we prepare to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the rediscovery of the Laocoon. Why is this sculpture so important? Find out by reading our article below.
There's lots of other news from Rome here too. We hope you enjoy this update from the Eterna. And, as always, we thank you for your support for the iDC and hope to see you in Rome again soon!
The 500th Anniversary of the Rediscovery of the Laocoon
On January 14, 1506, a momentous discovery was made in the city of Rome. A farmer digging in his vineyard, near the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, began to uncover pieces of an ancient sculpture. The pieces were quickly identified as belonging to the Laocoon, a sculpture that had been famous in antiquity.
After its discovery, the Laocoon quickly made its way into the Vatican collection of antiquities. There, for centuries, it has been drawn and admired by artists as diverse as Michelangelo, Titian, El Greco, Rubens, and Gericault - all of whom were influenced by the work's powerful, twisting movement and by its highly defined anatomy.
January 14, 2006, marks the 500th anniversary of the rediscovery of the Laocoon. In celebration of this important anniversary, we've posted an article about the Laocoon on our website. And for those of you who want to know even more, there's also a slidehow about the impact of this ancient sculpture on the history of western art. Rediscovery of the Laocoon: Article and Slideshow
The Laocoon sculpture is a familiar image, featured in Latin textbooks and discussed in almost every art history survey course. But what's the story behind this sculpture? Who is Laocoon and why are he and his sons being strangled?
The story is told in an epic poem called the Aeneid, written by the Roman poet Virgil in the first century BC. In many ways, the Aeneid picks up where the Greek epic, the Illiad, left off. The Greeks are at war with the Trojans because Paris, a Trojan prince, has stolen Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world.
After many years of fighting, the Greeks haven't managed to breach the walls of Troy, so they turn to trickery. The Greek army constructs a giant wooden horse, leaving its belly hollow so that they can hide inside. They wheel the horse up to the walls of Troy, pretending that it's a peace offering. But, after almost a decade of warfare with the Greeks, the Trojans are mistrustful and there is a discussion about whether or not to bring the horse into the city. Amidst the confusion, Laocoon, a Trojan priest, says this:
O my poor people, Men of Troy, what madness has come over you? Can you believe the enemy truly gone? A gift from the Greeks, and no ruse? Is that their way? Have no faith in the horse! Whatever it is, even when Greeks bring gifts I fear them, gifts and all.
Laocoon is punished for his words. Some of the gods want the ruse to be successful so that the Greeks will win the war. So, as Laocoon stands at the seaside, preparing to make a sacrifices, snakes are sent from the sea to strangle he and his sons.
From the calm sea - twin snakes Coiling, uncoiling, swam abreast for shore, Their underbellies showing as their crests Reared red as blood above the swell; behind they glided with great undulating backs.
They slid until they reached Laocoon. Each snake enveloped one of his two boys, twining about and feeding on the body. Next they ensnared the man as he ran up With weapons: coils like cables looped and bound him Twice round the middle; twice about his throat They whipped their back-scales, and their heads towered, While with both hands he fought to break the knots, Drenched in slime, his hand-bands black with venom, Sending to heaven his appalling cries.
Text adapted from Robert Fitzgerald's translation of the Aeneid. Published by Vintage, 1990.
If you're looking for a hot read to warm up the winter nights, we suggest you pay a visit to the iDC's City Library. You'll find loads of interesting books about the Eternal City.
This month, iDC City Scholars are raving about Mary Beard and Keith Hopkins' new pocket-sized volume, The Colosseum, published by Harvard University Press. Written by classical scholars, but aimed at the general public, the book gives the inside story on Roman gladiators and the Flavian amphitheater in which they fought.
In December, the Capitoline Museums - the world's oldest public museum - made a dramatic jump into the twenty-first century. A new glass pavilion and numerous remodeled sculpture galleries were inaugurated and opened to the public. This brilliant new addition - meant to house the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius and other ancient treasures, some of which have not been on exhibit for decades - vaults the Capitoline Museums into the modern world.
Find Out More: the iDC website currently features an article about the Capitoline's new galleries, as well as photos, and a slidehow about the history of the Marcus Aurelius statue.
The Institute of Design & Culture in Rome is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to offering educational opportunities for visitors and residents of the Eternal City. Our learning opportunities are an exciting way to explore Rome's rich past and its hip and happening present.
