Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Laocoon 1530 - 1580

This is Marco Dente's engraving, "Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Laocoon," created sometime between 1515 and 1527. It captures the agony of Laocoon and his sons as they are attacked by sea serpents, a scene drawn from Virgil's Aeneid. During the Renaissance, the rediscovery of classical sculptures like the Laocoon ignited a fervent interest in antiquity. Dente's engraving reflects this fascination, and the desire to disseminate knowledge of classical art through printmaking. The image of Laocoon embodies a very masculine ideal, revealing the aesthetic values of the time. Yet, there's something deeply unsettling about the spectacle of male suffering. Is this an image of heroic struggle, or one of abject pain? Dente's work invites us to consider the complex relationship between classical ideals, masculinity, and human suffering. It serves as a potent reminder of our own vulnerabilities.