2 Euro Proof

Laocoön is not a historical person, but a figure from the narratives of the Trojan War. As a priest in Troy, he warned his fellow citizens against bringing the wooden horse left behind by the Greeks into the city. In Virgil’s “Aeneid”, he hurls a spear at the horse. Shortly afterwards, two snakes emerge from the sea and kill Laocoön and his two sons. The Trojans interpret this as a divine sign, bring the horse into the city, and thereby enable the Greek warriors hidden inside it to conquer Troy. Other ancient accounts explain Laocoön’s death differently.

The sculptural group depicts the father and his sons fighting the snakes. Pliny the Elder mentioned a corresponding group in the palace of Emperor Titus and attributed it to the Rhodian sculptors Hagesandros, Polydoros and Athenodoros. Its date of creation and precise art-historical context remain the subject of research; its relationship to Hellenistic and Roman art in particular is debated.

The group was found in 1506 on the Esquiline in Rome. Pope Julius II acquired it and had it installed in the Belvedere of the Vatican. Its rediscovery influenced the Renaissance’s engagement with ancient representations of the body, movement and expression. Its additions and restorations also reflect changing attitudes towards ancient works of art. A bent arm of Laocoön that had initially been missing was not recognised again until the early 20th century and was later attached to the group.

The European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 was intended to raise awareness of Europe’s tangible and intangible heritage and of its preservation and communication. The choice of the Laocoön Group establishes a direct connection with this objective: the work links ancient mythology, Roman tradition, the history of papal collecting, archaeological rediscovery and modern restoration. At the same time, its close connection with the papal collections explains why the State of Vatican City chose this motif for its contribution to the thematic year.