Caricature of the Laocoon Group

c. 1540/1545

Attributed to Niccolò Boldrini after Titian

Associated Names
Nicolò Boldrini

Artist, Italian, born c. 1510, active c. 1530 - c. 1570

Titian

Artist After, Venetian, 1488/1490 - 1576

This is a drawing of three monkeys entangled with several snakes in a dynamic scene. The central monkey is caught in a large snake's coil, with two other monkeys also entangled. The background includes textured tree, hills, and a village with distinct architectural features like a steeple. The sky is filled with expressive lines adding drama to the scene. The artwork emphasizes the struggle between the creatures.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    woodcut on white laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 26.5 x 40.1 cm (10 7/16 x 15 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1972.49.4

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Passavant, no. 97

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(P. & D. Colnaghi, Ltd., London); sold 1972 to NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2000

  • The Fantastic in Renaissance Prints and Drawings, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2000.

2018

  • Sharing Images: Renaissance Prints into Maiolica and Bronze, cat. by Jamie Gabbarelli, NGA, 2018, no.

Bibliography

1860

  • Passavant, Johann David. Le peintre-graveur, contenant l'histoire de la gravure sur bois, sur metalet au buring jusque vers la fin du XVI siecle .... 6 vols. Leipzig: Rudolph Weigel, 1860-1864.

1976

  • Rosand, David and Michelangelo Muraro. Titian and the Venetian Woodcut. Washington, D.C., 1976: 188-190.

2019

  • Cranston, Jodi. Green Worlds of Renaissance Venice. University Park, 2019: 134-137, fig. 71.

Wikidata ID

Q65579180

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