Nis op sokkel onder pergola, in het midden Laocoön. 1556

Editor: Here we have an engraving from 1556 titled "Nis op sokkel onder pergola, in het midden Laocoön," which roughly translates to "Niche on a pedestal under a pergola, with Laocoön in the middle." It’s by Johannes or Lucas van Doetechum. The sheer density of figures and ornamentation is overwhelming, like a fever dream in monochrome. What strikes you about this print? Curator: Overwhelming is the perfect word. It's like peering into the Renaissance's scrapbook—a dense collage of classical ideals filtered through a Northern European lens. It reminds me of those curiosity cabinets, each level bursting with exotic finds and humanist aspirations. Imagine the artist poring over ancient texts and newly unearthed sculptures, trying to distill the essence of antiquity! Do you get a sense of how influential the Laocoön sculpture was, even in print form? Editor: Absolutely. It's prominently displayed, radiating agony, which then raises an interesting question about why. The sculpture group embodies human suffering, a real downer, right? Why feature it so prominently within this context? Curator: Precisely! Laocoön's struggle wasn't just about physical pain; it represented the futility of resistance against fate, a theme that resonated deeply during a time of religious and political upheaval. Artists were grappling with these huge ideas of destiny and what it means to be human! But beyond the weighty themes, this image also functions as a template, a source of inspiration for other artists and artisans eager to incorporate classical motifs into their work. Editor: So it's both high art and a pattern book. Interesting... Seeing it that way, a lot more about it makes sense now. Thanks for sharing that. Curator: My pleasure. It’s those kinds of surprising connections that keeps the past so vividly present for me!