Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Laocoon 1515 - 1566

Nicolas Beatrizet's "Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Laocoon" is a 16th-century engraving depicting the famous sculpture of Laocoön and his sons. The print, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, captures the intense drama of the group, with the Trojan priest Laocoön and his sons struggling against the deadly coils of serpents sent by the goddess Athena. This artwork, a testament to the artistic prowess of the Renaissance, showcases Beatrizet's skill in translating three-dimensional sculpture onto a two-dimensional plane. The intricate details of the figures' anatomy and the coiled serpents, combined with the inscription noting the sculpture's location in the Belvedere Courtyard of the Vatican, highlight the importance of this artwork in the revival of classical art during the Renaissance.