Laocoon Group Analysis

The Snake Goddess, a voluptuous, divine figure with bare breasts, and snakes in both hands, is one of the most well known female deity’s and faïence figurines in Minoan culture (Patron). The actual representation of the Snake Goddess is unknown; however, a majority of perceptions would all agree that the Snake Goddess is an important female deity in Minoan civilization. By analyzing the importance of symbolism, the role of women in Minoan civilization and The Snake Goddesses role in Minoan culture, it will become evident that The Snake Goddess plays a significant role in Minoan art, religion and society (Witcombe).

The piece I decided to analyze is the famous sculpture, Laocoön and his two sons. I decided on this particular piece for a few reasons, one being the emotion we see on the subjects’ faces, and the other being the importance for future art. When I began this research I could not have possibly understood the relevance this piece had on the art that was yet to come.

Various pieces of art found thousands of years ago depict characters based on certain events and legends. I will be analyzing two works of art: The Sound Box of the Great Lyre, a wooden music box (33 x 11 cm) found in present-day Iraq c. 2600-2500 BCE, and Lapith Fighting a Centaur, a high metope relief (1.42 m) on the side of the Parthenon in Ancient Greece c. 447-432 BCE. The former represents a bull with a low relief under its head, depicting animals mimicking the lifestyle of humans. The latter exemplifies a nude man struggling against a mythical creature that is half-man half-horse2. Although these works are from across the world with completely different cultures, they both have similar

From my observation at the Met, this sculpture is inside a medium glass and space. Also, it is by itself in the glass. It is a three-dimensional sculpture created by modeling and merging hard materials. Next to it there are other deities (Vishnu, Parvati, Ganesh etc.) and sculptors from the Chola Dynasty. The other works near it complements the sculpture as I have stated above they are from the same time period so, they are related to each other some way and

The detail increases the power the snake exudes in the perspective of the man. “Children, dogs, and horses…who weren’t as strong” compared to the snake, created panic and fear, because of its “six powerful fangs” and “little

The sculpture portrays the God of Harvest, Dionysus, with his loyal satyr follower, Pan. A considerable amount of detail when into the carving of Dionysus; the multiple grapevines in his hair, his ceremonial staff Thyrsus, the goatskins and the cup of wine he’s holding are all symbols of Dionysus. The composition is very asymmetrical, and creates a contrapposto arrangement, which is distinctly Grecian (Gardner). It was carved out of beautiful fine marble, which also had another purpose in the way of making this piece of art last for many years. Along with the tree trunk between the two men providing support at the base, and the elongated arms providing more structural stability. The God’s head is even reinforced by his hair to make sure the head doesn’t break off. This sculpture is visually and aesthetically pleasing, but doesn’t serve a useful function, like textiles or furniture. Therefore, it is considered a figurative piece of art, which art that is very clearly modeled after real object or person(s), and is therefore representational

This pair figures represent Yuny and his wife, Renenutet seated with rigidly formal posture next to him. This statue depicts a powerful couple that looks straight ahead, with their heads held up and blank eyes widely open. The form of their features and

The snakes makes their debut on the coattails of Laocoön’s concerns over the Greek’s horse. As it was he who questioned the trust the Trojans had in the Greek’s gift of the wooden horse, functionally, the death of Laocoön and his sons can first be read as a plot driven decision because upon their deaths, there would be no one of authority to question their judgements. The killing of Laocoön and his sons by the snakes was therefore swift and ruthless, as they “Ensnared the man as he ran up/With weapons: coils like cables looped and bound him...Sending to heaven his appalling cries/Like a slashed bull escaping from an altar/The fumbled axe shrugged off,” (2.295-303).

I enjoyed learning about them and looking at it. Prior to doing more research on them, I just thought their work wasn't art and just random things put up/built in places. Now that I know more about it, I am able to fully understand it and enjoy it better. I couldn't live with this in my house, it would take up too much space. Theoretically however, I think I would enjoy having this in my house. I t has a nice meaning behind it and it would be nice to see everyday. It is aesthetically successful in my opinion, it just works so well. I would say this art piece is a mix between formalism and Imitationalism. I believe both are what makes an artwork aesthetically successful. The whole thing, from how it was constructed to the meaning behind it, are the reasons why I think this piece is

There have been countless duels between two opposing sides in the history Roman artistry. This sculpture relief signifies the classic battle of good versus evil. Time and time again, benevolent heroes find themselves in a struggle to combat worthy yet malicious adversaries. The Roman sarcophagus, a two by five feet marble coffin, is certainly no exception. It represents another division to this timeless good-evil epic, its visual characteristics, emphasis on contrasts, and its extensive array of details give it an identity that is uniquely its own. It portrays a sense of legendary fantasy to the viewer, one pertaining to hostility, violence, and pure anger. The sculpture seems overly shallow due to

Their were multiple different art works that caught my attention at the museum although through the semester it was the Roman chapter that captivated my attention the most hence forth I chose this artwork. Each piece of art present in the museum deserved their own acknowledgment respectively from the gold and marble jewelry present to the large sculptures rich in detail non stood out more to myself than The Indian Triumph of Dionysus.I found this piece of art to be appealing because there are many different people and beings within this piece of work that are well known in ancient Greek and Roman mythology. The entire piece is centered on Dionysus, yet everyone plays an important role in the overall story of the piece. Also, I found it very interesting that someone took a great interest in building a monumental sarcophagus for a man who was known for introducing wine.
As Dionysus and his followers journeyed to the East to introduce wine and culture they were sometimes

The sculptures of wire and found objects from chapter ten was one of the most fascinating works I found from this chapter. These sculptures are very ambiguous in form. Some of them look like metal cocoons. These pieces range in height shape and weight. The way the sculptures are made suggest power, and perhaps oppression. Power because it requires some strange to bend pieces of metal, but oppression because these pieces of metal, plastic and garbage in general are tie with metal

The most interesting piece of artwork that I had the chance to come across in this course was Bernini’s sculpture of St. Teresa De Avila. I have taken many art classes throughout my time as a college student, but I enjoyed this sculpture immensely because it is a piece that had the ability to touch my heart, mind, and soul. The three elements that inhibited me to choose this painting was the emotions displayed by the figures, the intricate details, and the overall message innocence and beauty that the art depicts.

This essay is an attempt to address the marble sculpture commonly known as Laocoon and His Sons, and why exactly I believe it to be a work of high art, of great value and significance to the species.

Initially, when I walked up to this sculpture my thoughts were the name of the piece pretty much sums it up. Approaching the statues, they seem to just be large bronze masses on the corner of McCaul street but, as any art should be looked at, I decided to dig deeper than the superficial. The location is odd to me, mainly because the bronze forms are not alone in the corner of the building, but are not really impacted by its surroundings. The trees behind the statue are dead giving a desolate atmosphere invoking a sense of loneliness. Moreover, almost the entire area surrounding the piece is solid concrete, giving a very penitential outlook. I’m not sure if the sculpture’s initial approach is supposed to invoke miserable emotions but if so it does its job