As I thought about
what to write in this blog post I kept coming back to the sculpture
of Laocoon and His Sons. The the question that kept on going in
circles in my mind was, Why? Why do I keep on thinking about this
sculpture? What is so fascinating about this sculpture that makes it
stand out to me? I couldn't really answer these questions without
knowing the history behind the sculpture. So from my novice research
the history behind this sculpture is that Laocoon was killed after
trying to expose the “fakeness” of the Trojan horse by trying to
hit it with a spear. The snakes were allegedly sent by Poseidon and
was interpreted by the Trojans as proof that the horse was a sacred
object. Historians do not know when exactly the sculpture was made
but have a rough estimate of 42 to 20 BC. It was also unearthed
around 1506 in a vineyard. Honestly, my research did not really help
me in my process of answering questions. So what do I like about this
sculpture? I like the expression in Laocoon's face. I like how it
shows the pain that he goes through while being attacked by the
snakes. But I can also see the pain he has in his expression for his
sons too. The look on the sons face show the feeling of somewhat
betrayal because of their father. I think that the detail in the hair
of Laocoon is amazing. I love it. I think it may serve as a purpose
of warning. Not as in a dark warning, but as a warning of art. If you
were going to ruin something that dealt with the Trojans the gods are
going to put their foot down and do what they need to in order to
stop it. (That may not be true, but it's what I think of its
purpose.) It all has a connection within each other. I honestly can't
really connect the sculpture with my world views and today's world
view. I view it as a piece of history. I think of it as if we forget
the past then we will repeat it in the future. Ancient Greece may or
may not be true, but I believe it is true. I believe that if we
forget these sculptures, even if the story is true or not, we'll most
likely repeat it. Poseidon may not make snakes attack you but it's
the fact that if we don't study the pain and anguish and fear on
Laocoon's face then we don't know where we have been and where we can
go. On a weird note if I ever got the chance to stand in front of
Laocoon and His Sons, I would most likely just stand there forever
and take in the beauty that it has to offer.
