Laocoöngroep 1584

Giovanni Battista Cavalieri's 1584 engraving *Laocoöngroep* depicts the famous sculpture of Laocoön and his sons, who are being strangled by serpents. The scene is based on a Roman marble sculpture now housed in the Vatican Museums. Cavalieri’s engraving captures the dramatic energy and pathos of the original sculpture, emphasizing the intertwined bodies and the agonizing expressions of the figures. The piece exemplifies the artistic fascination with classical antiquity that characterized Renaissance art, and its depiction of the tragic myth of Laocoön served as a powerful reminder of the dangers of hubris.