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Laocoon

Bust
1758 (dated)
Artist/Maker
Wilton, Joseph (R.A.) (sculptor)
Place of origin
Britain (made)

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.

Object details

Categories
Portraits
Myths & Legends
Sculpture
Object type
Bust
TitleLaocoon (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Marble
Marble
Carved
Brief description
Bust, marble, Laocoon, by Joseph Wilton, after the antique prototype, Britain, dated 1758
Physical description
Head of Laocoon looking to the left.
Dimensions
  • Height: 61cm
Credit line
Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh FSA
Object history
Purchased by Dr Hildburgh F.S.A. from the dealer Arthur Einstein for £12 at an unknown date. Given by Dr. Hildburgh in 1949.
Subjects depicted
Bust
Laocoon
Summary
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.
Bibliographic references
  • Bilbey, Diane and Trusted, Marjorie. British Sculpture 1470-2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2002, p. 162, cat.no 218
  • Owsley, D. and Rieder, W., The Glass Drawing Room from Northumberland House, London, 1974, pl. 5
  • Curtis, Penelope & Feeke, Stephen (eds.), Towards a New Laocoon, Leeds : Henry Moore Institute, 2007 no.4
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.84-1949

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Record createdAugust 14, 2006
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O127050/laocoon-bust-wilton-joseph-ra/
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