Laocoon

Laocoon was a Trojan priest who warned the Trojans against bringing the wooden horse of the Greeks into their city. By interfering with the natural course of events he incurred the wrath of the gods, who sent sea-serpents to kill him and his two sons. In 1506 the antique marble group Laocoon and His Sons was discovered in Rome and was immediately celebrated for its technical mastery and for the intense emotion it conveyed. Artists took inspiration from the group and produced their own versions in various forms. In this example by Wilton, only the head of the central figure of Laocoon has been executed. It would have been a suitable item for a domestic setting. The original antique marble group is in the Vatican Museums, in Rome.