Italian, 18th century After the Antique

Overall the condition of the marble is very good. There is some minor wear and dirt consistent with age. There are some minor chips to the socle, truncation and curls and a minor nick to the surface of the nose. There are larger chips to the laurel wreath near Laocoon's left shoulder and a lock of the beard at the proper right side under his chin. From the truncation at the front run two, possibly naturally present, minor cracks. Between the collarbones there is a small circular drill hole which was filled with plaster.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This technically extraordinary and highly expressive bust is an interpretation of the head of the central figure of the hellenistic group of Laocoon, which since its excavation in 1506 was venerated as one of the most important statues from antiquity. It is identified as "LAOCONTE" on its index tablet. The very deep undercutting in the mouth (with both rows of teeth, the palate and the tongue visible) and the individual strands of hair evidence the sculptor's virtuosity. The bust is constructed with the breast and shoulder projected onto a concave, plate-like structure, which is supported by a rectangular buttress with a slightly convex back. This is characteristic for busts of the Neoclassical period, as is the fact that the bust's back is carefully polished. The reception of the Laocoon group – which was seen as the example par excellence of the rendering of human suffering, and frequently interpreted from a stoic point of view – was and continues to be one of the most significant phenomena of European cultural history. The publication of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's Laocoon, or about the boundaries of painting and poetry in 1766, in which the philosopher, poet and librarian developed from this sculpture a theory of media differences between language and the visual arts, brought the Laocoon into the centre of the philosphical discourse in the age of Neoclassicism and beyond.

RELATED LITERATURE
S. Settis, Laocoonte: fama e stile, Rome, 1999; S. Settis, "La fortune de Laocoon au Xxe siècle," in Le Laocoon: histoire et réception, E. Décultot (ed.), Paris, 2003, pp. 269-301; F. Haskell and N. Penny, Taste and the Antique: The Lure of Classical Sculpture 1500-1900, New Haven/ London, 1981, no. 52, pp. 243-247