Academiestudie naar gips van Laocoön: studie van het hoofd 1819 - 1881

This is a red chalk drawing of the head of Laocoön, made by Johannes Tavenraat. The drawing is made with a dry medium on paper, and the technique is straightforward: building up layers of hatching to describe form and shadow. The grainy texture is typical of chalk. But of course, the drawing is not the main event here. It is a copy of a sculpture, and that sculpture is itself a copy. The Laocoön, dramatically depicting a Trojan priest and his sons being attacked by sea serpents, was made in antiquity, and rediscovered in 1506. Ever since, it has been considered the epitome of classical sculpture, and endlessly copied, and the copy made by Tavenraat reminds us that even a work of art is always the product of a long process of mediation. It also stands as a testament to the enduring power of classical sculpture, influencing artistic training and taste for centuries.