1550
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
The Laocoon Before Restoration is a 1550 by Marco Dente, depicting Heracles, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This print shows a dramatic scene of three struggling men. One is a muscular older figure with a beard, tangled in snakes. Two younger men—one kneeling, one crouching—grab his arms, trying to pull him free. The background has a low wall with plants and a distant building. The snakes are coiled tight around the older man’s body, adding tension. The print’s dark lines and shading make the figures look almost three-dimensional. Look up chiaroscuro next to see how this lighting effect works.
This engraving by Marco Dente from 1550 depicts the sculpture of Laocoön and his two sons before restoration, rendered as a print on paper. The work includes the initials M.R. on the left side of the pedestal, though the engraver’s full name has been erased from this impression. The image captures the classical group in its pre-restored state, as documented by the Renaissance artist.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Marco Dente da Ravenna (1493–1527), usually just called Marco Dente, was an Italian engraver born in Ravenna in the latter part of the 15th Century.
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