Jing Dujun: Only the art of iconography in the classical era can give us a typical picture of a person dying and struggling.
In the Belvedere courtyard of the Vatican Museums, stands an ancient Roman sculpture "Laocoön and its sub-portraits". In 1506, this ancient Roman statue was discovered in the vineyards of the ruins of the Golden Palace of Eskillen in Rome. Immediately afterwards, Pope Julius II, who loved art collecting, took possession of it and placed it in the Belvedere courtyard of the Vatican. In order to restore this imperfect Roman sculpture, Pope Julius II also summoned one of the most famous artists of the time to discuss how to add Laocon's right arm. Michelangelo concluded that Laocon's arm should be folded behind his back, while others believed that his arm should be extended upwards to point straight to the sky. In the end, judged by Raphael, the upwardly extended "Fire To the Heavens" arm triumphed and was mounted on the statue of Laocon:
▲ The statue of The Vatican's Laocon with the "Prosthetic Arm" of the "Lifting fire to the sky" style
Marble group sculpture "Laocoön and its sub-group portraits"
(Ancient Rome, 1st century BC to 2nd century AD)
It is housed in the Vatican Museums
In 1905, the Austrian archaeologist and art dealer Ludwig Pollack (L. Pollack) Pollack found fragments of ancient sculptures in a roman ruin, and it was discovered that they were Laocon's right arm. In 1960, Laocoön's "true arm" was finally restored to the sculpture, and it turned out that Michelangelo was correct in his original judgment - Laocoön's right arm was folded behind:
▲ The statue of Laocoön in the Vatican with the "original real arm" spliced together
Marble group sculpture "Laocoön and its sub-group portraits"
(Ancient Rome, 1st century BC to 2nd century AD)
By three artists, including Argyndros from Rhode Island
It is now in the Collection of the Vatican Museums
In 1876, in the ruins of Pompeii, two ancient Roman frescoes painted with the image of Laocoön were excavated, which were basically created in the same period as the Statue of Laocoön in the Vatican. Interestingly, in the Mural of Pompeii, one of the images of a straight arm is one, while the other is also in the state of one arm:
▲ Ancient Roman fresco "Laocoön and His Sons"
(1st century AD) anon
Discover the ruins of Pompeii "House of Minand"
It is now in the collection of the Naples Museum
▲ Ancient Roman fresco "Laocoön and His Sons"
(1st century AD) anon
Discover the ruins of Pompeii "House of Laocoön"
It is now in the collection of the Naples Museum
▲ Imaginary restoration of the ancient Roman fresco "Laocoön and His Sons"
The ancient Roman sculpture Laocoön and its sub-portraits did not always stand in the Vatican's Belvedere courtyard since its discovery in 1506, but was also transported back to the Vatican after being transported to Paris.
In 1799, after Napoleon's conquest of Italy, the statue of "Laocón" was transported as a trophy to the Louvre in Paris, where it was exhibited in the Napoleonic Museum in the neoclassical style. Later, after the fall of Napoleon, it was transported back to the Vatican in 1816. The process of the French army transporting Roman antiquities such as "Laocoön" into Paris was recorded by the artist on a porcelain vase of "Napoleon's official kiln":
▲ "Roman antiquities prepared for the Napoleonic Museum arrived in Paris"
Etruscan porcelain vase (1810-1814)
It is now in the collection of the Sèvres National Ceramics Museum
▲ "Roman Antiquities For the Napoleonic Museum Transported to Paris" (partial) Etruscan porcelain vase (1810-1814)
It is now in the collection of the Sèvres National Ceramics Museum
▲ "Roman Antiquities For the Napoleonic Museum Transported to Paris" (partial) Etruscan porcelain vase (1810-1814)
It is now in the collection of the Sèvres National Ceramics Museum
This exquisite vase is 1.2 meters high and is the largest vase of painted figures made by the Royal Porcelain Factory of Sèvres. In 1810, Napoleon ordered the Royal Porcelain Factory of Sèvres to make this triumph-themed vase to commemorate the "Festival of Freedom of Art" held to welcome the trophies brought back from Rome by the French army from Rome to the Louvre. This large vase was supposed to be the propaganda for the invincibility of Napoleon's army. Unfortunately, the vase was not made until 1814, and it happened to be at the time of Napoleon's defeat. Therefore, the vase was almost destroyed as soon as it came out of the oven. Fortunately, in 1815, the large vase was presented to Louis XVIII, who restored the Bourbon dynasty, and the new French king was magnanimous, he saw the artistic and historical value of this vase, so he accepted the advice of the Sèvres, erased Napoleon's name, and changed the image of Napoleon on the ear of the bottle to François I, the most beloved King of France in the Renaissance. As a result, this Napoleonic kiln porcelain vase has been preserved to this day.